Of Gods and Demons
by Raziel12
Summary: On a desolate world halfway between Heaven and Hell, a goddess and a demon meet.
1. Chapter 1

**Halfway Between Heaven and Hell**

Fang gazed down at the parched, barren rock beneath her. This world was dead, laid waste during one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War. Long ago, hundreds of gods and demons had fallen to try and take it, but now it was silent, empty. Whatever tactical significance it had once held was long gone. There were no souls left to convert here, no portals to try and hold. There was only rock and dust, and the lingering scent of blood.

Her lips curled. This place was about as far from romantic as it was possible to be, but neither she nor her partner could afford to be too picky. After all, beggars couldn't be choosers, and in this affair, both of them were beggars, never mind the positions of authority they held. She chuckled, and shifted to let her wings catch the wind a little better. If she wanted, she could fly without them, but they were a part of her, and despite their delicate appearance, they could be very useful in battle. Not that she expected a battle, at least, not of that kind.

She extended her senses one last time to ensure that she was alone before she folded her wings and dropped, the wind rushing through pitch-black feathers. Mere moments later, she felt it, the tingle in her veins that signalled the use of high-level magic. She had just reached the ground, when the sky tore open. The space above her rippled and then split. A single winged figure slipped through the portal before it closed, and the sky returned to normal.

Fang grinned. She was here.

With a speed unmatched in either Heaven or Hell, the figure raced through the sky and then dove to land not fifteen feet away from Fang.

"You're late," Fang murmured. Her emerald eyes gleamed. It wouldn't do to let the other go without a bit of teasing.

"Am I?" It was a woman's voice, all velvet and steel.

Fang nodded sagely. "And of course you came overdressed, as well."

And the other was quite overdressed, at least for what Fang had in mind. Whereas Fang was content to wear little more than a blue sari over her underwear, the other had come in full armour. Glittering crystal covered the other's entire body from head to toe, and Fang found herself itching to just tear it off. It wouldn't be hard. She already knew exactly how to take it all off. She also knew just how beautiful the goddess beneath all of that armour was. And it wasn't just any goddess. It was her goddess. Hers.

"I had matters to attend to." Fang could practically picture the scowl on the other's face. "And appearances to keep."

Fang laughed lightly and stepped forward. "And here I thought it was the demon half of you making an appearance. After all, us demons aren't exactly known for our punctuality." Although she had arrived quite early for this meeting, not that she would ever tell the goddess in front of her that.

The other stiffened, her wings stirring the air behind her. Fang had two wings, both of them black. The other had two wings, as well. One was a pure white, as though made of sunlight itself. The other was as black as the night.

"Relax, Lightning," Fang said. "I was joking." She sighed melodramatically. "By this point, I think everyone knows that you consider yourself a goddess. What rank are you now? Goddess 2nd Class, Restricted Licence?"

Lightning growled and Fang shivered. What a delightfully sinful sound, even more so considering the fact that it came from the lips of a goddess. Still, there were other sounds that Lightning could make, better ones. Later, Fang would make her scream. "I have been a Goddess 1st Class with an Unrestricted Licence for quite some time, Fang. You know that." Despite the harshness of the words, Fang could hear a smile in them too. It was just a pity that Lightning's helmet stopped her from seeing it. "Still, I shouldn't be surprised to hear lies coming from the mouth of a Demon 1st Class, Unrestricted Licence."

"Indeed." Fang had reached Lightning, and with no small amount of glee, she began to tug off the goddess's armour. She started with the parts that covered the goddess's arms and legs, careful to ensure that every single touch was as sinfully sensual as she could make it. From there, she quickly divested Lightning of the armour that covered her body and then her helmet. Beneath the armour, Lightning wore a simple white tunic. Fang paused and gave Lightning a wry look. "Has it ever occurred to you wear something a little more alluring to these trysts of ours?"

Lightning reached up to brush back a lock of her pink hair. Eyes the colour of the summer sun narrowed. "Fang, I am the leader of the valkyries. I have a feeling that my acquiring large quantities of elaborate lingerie might raise questions." A hint of a flush crossed her cheeks. "And it's not like it matters, you'll be ripping all of this off me anyway."

Fang smiled, revealing elongated canines. "Well, I suppose you're right." Her emerald eyes flashed. "I think we've spent too much time standing around out here." She pointed to the door of the house, which was slightly wider than the usual to account for their wings. "Let's not waste any more time." She scooped Lightning up into her arms and bounded up the steps. "I have a goddess to corrupt."

X X X

Later, much later, Lightning was draped across Fang. Her wings were spread to provide a makeshift blanket, though neither of them was cold. There were after all, certain benefits to being a great deal more than human. Resistance to heat and cold were two such benefits. Increased stamina was another.

"Do you know what this place is?" Lightning murmured, one hand idly tracing circles on Fang's toned stomach.

Fang fought back a shiver and looked down at the goddess. Lightning had a tendency to think a great deal after making love. While others might have found that a little annoying, Fang thought it was quite endearing. Of course, she had set herself a personal goal of one day ravishing the goddess so thoroughly that she would be incapable of thought, but she had yet to succeed. Oh well, she would certainly enjoy trying again later. Besides, she happened to enjoy these little talks. The goddess's mind was every bit as quick as her sword, and it was nice to converse with someone who she considered her equal in every way.

"Yes," Fang replied. "I know what happened here."

"I wonder what they would think if they saw us." Lightning's legs were tangled with Fang's, and although she usually disdained close physical contact, the demon had long since worked her way into her heart – and her bed. "What do you think would happen if we were discovered?"

Fang gave a short, sharp bark of laughter. "I know exactly what your people would do." Her eyes hardened. "They'd probably kill you. As for mine, well, a certain level of strangeness is expected of most high-level demons. Heck, they might even throw me a party for corrupting one of Heaven's finest." Her voice darkened. "You know, Lightning, if we ever are discovered, there are going to be repercussions. If things get bad, really bad, you have to remember that there is always a place in Hell for you. The High Mother would be more than happy to have you back."

Lightning sighed. This was a matter they had spoken of before, and as before, her answer was the same. "I am a goddess, a daughter of the High Father. My place is in Heaven."

"You are the High Mother's daughter as much as you are the High Father's." Fang ran one hand gently along the leading edge of Lightning's black wing. It felt smooth, almost delicate, but with just a slight application of power, the goddess could turn the wing into one enormous blade. "Your wings are proof of that."

"Perhaps they are." Lightning pressed a kiss to Fang's collarbone. "But they've given me no end of trouble, as well. In Hell, so many mocked me for being a goddess. In Heaven, there are just as many who mock me for being a demon." She laughed softly. "Still, it has been some time since anyone has said anything to my face."

"Ah, so you pummelled them." Fang grinned. "There's that demonic heritage I was talking about." She pulled Lightning closer. Demonic endurance or not, she should be exhausted, but Lightning had a way of inspiring her. Besides, their time apart had given her plenty of time to think, and she had a few things she wanted to try. Wicked things. "How much longer can you stay?"

Lightning saw the gleam in Fang's eyes, and knew that it was mirrored in her own. "A while longer, perhaps until tomorrow morning. I finished my mission early." The regret was obvious in her voice.

"Your mission?" Fang was not particularly close to many other demons, but they were still her comrades, and most of Lightning's missions were combat related. "Anyone I know?"

Lightning shook her head. "No. One of your comrades decided to leave behind an infestation of Hell hounds on an occupied world. The gods there were not equipped to deal with it, so I was sent to clean it up."

"I see." Fang gave Lightning a grave look. "Hell hounds are indeed ferocious. As a loyal servant of the High Mother – who is your mother – I feel that it is my duty to examine you in case of injury." She flipped them over so that she was staring down into Lightning's eyes. She grinned. "And of course, I should probably also avenge my fallen comrades." She pressed a kiss to Lightning's throat and then ventured lower. "For the glory of the High Mother, Ruler of Hell, I will have you surrender, goddess!"

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Fang, I would appreciate it if you didn't say things about my mother when we are in bed." But then Fang's lips found what they sought, and whatever else Lightning wanted to say was lost in a haze of heat and pleasure.

X X X

Morning came much more quickly than either goddess or demon would have liked. They bathed, and during their bathing, they made love with a desperation that neither wished to put into words. Months had passed since their last meeting, how much longer would it be before the next?

"I have to go," Lightning whispered as she began to dress. "They will expect me soon."

Fang leaned in and helped Lightning fasten her armour back on. "A pity you have to bathe. I miss having my scent on you."

The goddess's cheeks flushed. How long had they known each other? Centuries, and still Fang could make her blush. "Are you trying to get us caught?"

"Maybe." Fang was a demon, and like most demons, she could be very possessive about what she saw as hers. And Lightning was definitely hers. But there was probably a whole bevy of gods and goddesses just waiting for Lightning in Heaven, any one of them eager to share her bed. Her jaw tightened. The favoured daughter of the High Father could easily have her pick of suitors.

"Fang." Lightning stopped what she was doing and turned to wrap her arms around the demon. "There is no one else."

"Mind reader," Fang grumbled. If she saw someone else touching her Lightning, she would get violent, never mind the ceasefire in the Great War.

Lightning shrugged. "I know how you think." She looked around at the house. "By the way, where did you get this? You're not exactly known for building things." If anything, Fang was known for the exact opposite.

"Oh, this?" Fang tapped a nearby wall. "I used one of Vanille's inventions to put it together."

Lightning twitched – there was no other way to describe it. "As in your sister, Vanille, the same demon who is still a Demon 2nd Class, Restricted Licence because she has a tendency to blow things up, a tendency that even other demons find disturbing."

Fang winced. This was not how she wanted them to part. "Look." She lifted one hand and concentrated. A moment later, a small black cube appeared over her palm. "See this? It's what I used to make the house. It's actually pretty good. You imagine what you want, and then feed power into the cube, which builds it for you."

Lightning stared at the cube. "That… could change the course of the war."

Fang waved one hand and the cube vanished. "Not really." She chuckled. "The fact is, if you try and build anything too big or too complicated, it has a tendency to explode. I actually had to pry Vanille out of a wall once when she tried to make some kind of energy weapon with it." She shrugged. "So, don't worry, the Balance isn't going anywhere just yet." The Balance was the name given to the tentative ceasefire that existed between Heaven and Hell. Had the Great War gone any longer, creation itself might have been destroyed.

Lightning nodded slowly. She would trust Fang's word on this. "Still, that cube is impressive. Not only did it make the house, it put together working plumbing too." By which she meant the shower, which she and Fang had certainly put to good use. Swallowing thickly, she donned the last of her armour, and the two of them went outside. The sun was rising.

"Tell me, Fang, do you think we are sinners?" Lightning's gaze wandered to the sun. It was a deep red on this world.

"Sinners?" Fang knew Lightning well enough to tell that this was not some casual question, that the goddess had not left it to the very end without good reason. Lightning wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer. "What do you mean?"

"The Laws of Heaven are clear. No child of Heaven may lie with a child of Hell. At the very least, those who break that law are to be stripped of their powers and banished. For others, the punishment has been death." Lightning's gaze was turbulent, her helmet held tightly in one hand.

"There are stories," Fang said softly, "That the Great War was not caused by a dispute as to who should rule creation. Instead, it was caused by love." Fang held Lightning's gaze. "Those stories say that High Mother and High Father once loved very deeply, but somehow that love turned to hate, and the pair came to blows. Their children chose sides. Those who followed the High Mother became demons, and those who followed the High Father became gods." She smiled wistfully. "There is no hate so great as the hate born of love."

"And you think that is why relationships like ours are forbidden?" Lightning asked.

Fang shrugged. "Well, there is also the small matter of us being on opposite sides of the greatest war that creation has ever known." Fang's smile was brittle. "But it would explain a few things – like you, for instance. The High Mother would hardly have permitted someone she did not care for to touch her, let alone have a child with them. And let's not forget what happened the last time you visited Hell."

Lightning shuddered. The Great War had been going through another one of its lulls, and she had visited Hell as part of a delegation from Heaven. The High Mother had taken one look at her, and then promptly dragged her off, leaving the two delegations largely to their own devices. Needless to say, the reception that Lightning received from the heavenly delegation upon her return was far from pleasant. Nor had she enjoyed the thinly veiled insults toward the High Father that the High Mother had thrown about during the meetings between the two delegations. Had it been anyone else, her fellow gods and goddesses would have rushed to arms, but the High Mother was powerful beyond measure. Only the High Father could match her, and thus far the two had avoided facing one another, if only to spare the rest of creation from devastation.

"Still," Fang said. "I haven't answered your question. If I had to say, then I would say that we are not sinners." She put on a look of scholarly concentration. "After all, is not written in the Laws of Heavens that the greatest of the High Father's gifts is love? I love you, and you love me, so how can we be sinners?"

"It is never that simple," Lightning said softly.

Fang grinned. "Maybe it should be."

Lightning's lips curled into a smile, and she lifted one hand to the sky. Once more the sky tore, a portal forming immediately. "I have to go now."

Fang stepped forward to steal one final kiss, and then helped Lightning put her helmet back on – crooked, of course, since Fang was a demon. "Be safe."

Lightning adjusted her helmet – Fang always put it on crooked – and replied as she always did. "You too, and may we never meet in battle."

Fang watched the goddess go and then went to sit on the front porch of the house. She felt hollow. Perhaps when she got back to Hell, she would go blow something up. Silently, she thought back to the parting words that she and Lightning always exchanged. They weren't joking. Lightning was head of the valkyries, a group of gods and goddesses who existed solely to deal with demonic threats. Fang was leader of a similar group, one that specialised in hunting down and killing gods. It was of some small comfort that Lightning was the High Mother's daughter, for the High Mother would never issue an order to eliminate her. Yet Fang feared the day when the High Father ordered Lightning to go after her. She scowled. The High Father would have no qualms at all about that.

With a sigh, she stepped away from the house. There was a part of her that wanted to leave it as it was. She and Lightning had shared themselves with each other here, and that was something worth preserving. But she could not. There could be no evidence of their tryst, not if she wanted to keep the goddess safe. Fire leapt from her fingertips, and she watched until the house was nothing more than ash on the wind. Only then did she open her own portal.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

So, this is something that occurred to me while I was tossing around ideas for some of my other stuff. It's based around some of the mythology of Oh My Goddess, which is another one of my favourite anime (I would probably put it in the top ten). At this stage, I don't know if I'll continue with it, but the thought of Lightning and Fang as a goddess and a demon on opposite sides of the Great War was something that I couldn't pass up. I also have a number of stories that I really should finish (_Wasteland_ comes to mind, along with _Whispers of the Gods_), but we'll see.

For those who are curious, Lightning's history is based on elements of Urd's history, while Vanille is clearly a Skuld in the making. As for whether we'll see correlates of Belldandy and Keichi… well, that's a story for another time, although you can probably guess who will be who. After all, Belldandy is Urd's sister… and Lightning sort of has a sister of her own too.

One thing that I noticed while writing this is that while I've written quite a few scenes that could easily lead to/involve explicit material, I've never actually gotten around to writing a lemon. In fact, a few people have even suggested that I write a lemon instead of segueing away every time things get steamy. Now, I have nothing against lemons (how weird does that sound, seriously couldn't we have found a better euphemism for sexually explicit stories, perhaps one that didn't involve a common fruit?), but this site has restrictions, and I do like to keep my stories mostly accessible. That said, who knows. I have been considering mirroring my current work and putting some other things at Archive of Our Own, but I am a fair way down on the waiting list. I also find the matter of proofreading lemons to be somewhat awkward (strange, yes, since I seem to have no problem proofreading stories with zombies and guns, but hey, that's just me…). Oh well, that's just another genre to explore later (along with stuff like pirates, space operas and what have you…).

As always, I appreciate your feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**In The Beginning**

Lightning felt the cool touch of magic wash over her as she stepped through the portal into Heaven. The magic protecting Heaven was designed to recognise the souls of every god or goddess allowed into the divine realm. Any unauthorised entry would automatically trigger Heaven's defences. Lower-level threats were simply turned away. However, higher-level threats – for instance, a demon of Fang's power – required an altogether different approach. When necessary, Heaven could unleash a tempest of destructive magic capable of shattering the very fabric of creation.

Of course, it wasn't really magic. The word 'magic' implied some kind of breaking of the laws that governed creation and that wasn't something that just any god or demon could do. No, even gods and demons were bound by the laws of creation. All they did was… nudge reality in the direction they wanted using their souls as an energy source. In all of creation there were only two beings that could truly shape reality as they saw fit, regardless of the rules – the High Father and the High Mother. There were some who believed that in time, Lightning might be able to do the same – she was their child, after all – but if she truly did have that power, she'd seen no sign of it yet.

Lightning frowned. She was always like this after a meeting with Fang. It was easier to think on matters of theory and philosophy than it was to linger on matters of the heart. It was less painful too. But as she looked around, she felt her mood lighten a little. Whatever else it was, Heaven was her home.

As always, Heaven shone with unnatural brightness. Light seemed to come from every direction, warm and comforting. Graceful arches and spires rose all around her, their bases lost in a sea of radiance far below. Elsewhere, great trees rose from carefully tended terraces, their leaves lending shades of yellow, green, and red to a realm dominated by white, silver, and gold. A light breeze rustled past, and the air was suddenly filled with the scent of roses in full bloom. She smiled faintly. Heaven was beautiful beyond words, so much so that a mortal poet might spend their whole life trying to describe it and never come close.

However, Lightning had other concerns besides the beauty of Heaven. Her mission had turned up nothing exceptional apart from Fang, and she could hardly include the demon in her report. As such, her report could wait for a while, which left her free to seek out her sister.

As she made her way through the sunlit vistas of Heaven, she did her best to ignore the stares she received. Some of these were a product of her station. As the leader of the valkyries, she was the right hand of the High Father, and someone worthy of respect and admiration. But there were other stares, and these were almost always because of her oddly coloured wings. Only demons had black wings, only demons and her.

She let her wings carry her to the great spire that served as home to her and her sister. It was in a place of prominence, close to the towering pillar of light that marked the home of the High Father. As she entered, she reached out for her sister with her senses. As always, Serah's soul called out to her, a note of singular beauty amidst the symphony of divine souls that filled Heaven.

A faint smile crossed her lips. Serah was bathing in the springs that took up one of the lower floors of the spire. She made her way toward the springs, dismissing the attendants that stood ready to assist her. Her time with Serah was precious, and she was loath to share it with anyone else. When the last of the attendants had departed, she dispelled her armour and began to undress. She had bathed before leaving Fang, but the demon's touch had left her pleasantly sore. A soak in the springs would do her good.

As she prepared to enter the springs, she glanced into a nearby mirror and frowned. Fang had left a mark – again. Her lips curled. The demon could be very possessive, and while Lightning had left her fair share of marks, their situations were very different. A demon of Fang's rank was almost expected to have taken several lovers, if only as a means of consolidating alliances in the treacherous diplomatic struggles that were so common in Hell. In Heaven, however, Lightning was known as much for her solitary nature as for her skill in battle. True, she had her fair share of suitors, but her mind was already made up. She would have Fang, or she would have no one. Of course, that made explaining the bite marks on her neck and collarbone a little difficult.

With a sigh and no small amount of regret, she healed the injury. It was a physical reminder of her time with Fang, along with the delicious soreness running through her. The latter she could keep, since battle did tend to make the body sore, but the former would have to be dealt with. As it was, she should consider herself lucky that her armour had hidden the marks from curious eyes.

The water of the springs was warm and almost hot, and she let herself slip beneath the surface. Under the water, her wings were almost as good as in the air, and she cut swiftly through the water toward her unsuspecting prey. Really, her sister should be more aware of her surroundings.

She burst out of the water scant feet from her sister. The younger goddess gave a shriek of fright and turned, one arm covering her chest, the other outstretched as she prepared to fire off a burst of power.

"Don't do that!" Serah wailed.

Lightning's lips curled. Teasing her younger sister was something of a hobby of hers. Perhaps it was her demonic blood at work, but there was a certain pleasure in drawing the younger goddess's ire. Or perhaps she'd simply picked it up from Fang – the demon certainly derived enough pleasure from teasing Lightning.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings," Lightning said simply as she used her power to summon the implements she needed to bathe properly. "Had I been an assassin, you would already be dead."

Serah frowned and used one of her wings to flick some water at Lightning. "We are in Heaven. We don't really get assassins up here." She pouted. "And not all of us have your senses. I didn't even realise you were back in Heaven."

Lightning shrugged. As leader of the valkyries, Lightning was largely free to come and go as she pleased. It was one of the reasons she'd worked so hard to attain the position in the first place. "You know I do not like to announce my presence." She made a disgusted sound. "Otherwise, there would be no end to the problems I would face, many of which are not my responsibility at all."

Serah giggled and Lightning shot her a faint scowl. Still, the younger goddess had some reason to laugh. The valkyries were an elite force. They could not be deployed whenever some lower level god or goddess suspected that there might be demonic interference. If there were suspicions of demonic interference, then investigations needed to be conducted. Only once there was confirmation could the valkyries be deployed. But that didn't stop a lot of gods and goddesses from trying to circumvent the system by taking their complaints directly to Lightning. In such cases, she had found her glare to be quite useful.

"Well, I'm just glad you're back," Serah said, smiling happily as she reached over to hug Lightning.

Lightning sighed and let her sister embrace her. Serah was, by nature, quite physically affectionate. The fact that they were bathing didn't even seem to bother her. When Lightning had first met her, such displays of affection had annoyed her. Who was Serah to lay hands on her person? Over time, however, Lightning had warmed to such displays, not that she would ever tell the younger goddess that.

Suddenly, Serah stiffened.

"What's this?" Serah darted behind Lightning, wings stirring the water around them. "There's a bruise on your back and… are these claw marks?" The young goddess sounded horrified.

Lightning clenched her jaw. She hadn't even noticed those, most likely because of her high tolerance to pain and the passion that had overtaken her during her tryst with Fang. It had been a long time for them, and had anyone other than a powerful demon inflicted the wounds, they likely would have healed already. She would have to do better next time. She couldn't afford to be careless. At least it was only Serah, and perhaps she could come up with a suitable explanation.

"It was a glancing blow, nothing more," Lightning replied, as she pulled her sister back in front of her. "But I would prefer it if you did not speak of it with others. I have a reputation to uphold."

Serah stared at Lightning for a moment longer and then nodded. "It's not like you to get hit, but I guess I could keep it to myself." She frowned. "But tell me, was it a Hell hound? I was told your mission involved dealing with an infestation of them."

Lightning scowled, genuinely this time. Her sister should not have access to records of her mission. "Who told you that?"

Serah winced and smiled apologetically. "Well, you were taking a while, so I asked Father. He was the one who told me."

"Of course he did." Lightning ran one hand through her hair. Like Lightning, Serah was one of the High Father's daughters, and like her, she was amongst of his most favoured. And while many in Heaven viewed Lightning with a combination of fear and awe, there were few who did not think kindly of Serah. Her natural warmth and loving spirit were enough to win over even the most cynical members of Heaven. It helped too that Serah had a gentle beauty, the kind well suited to the endless light of Heaven. There was none of Lightning's coldness in her, and the wings on Serah's back held no trace of darkness. Sunlight, that was what Serah reminded Lightning of, sunlight and fields full of flowers.

"Well, was it a Hell hound that hurt you?" Serah asked. She made a face. "Sister, do not hide things from me. I've heard about how dangerous they can be."

Lightning sighed. "They are not all that dangerous, Serah, not if you are used to them." Though if she had her way, Serah would never meet even one Hell hound, let alone get used to them.

"What do you mean?" Serah's eyes widened in understanding. "Did you meet some while you were living in Hell?"

Lightning nodded. There were many who were curious about her childhood in Hell. As per agreement, her early years had been split between Heaven and Hell. Despite the questions, however, it was not a time she spoke of often. But Serah was different. Others might ask, but only Serah would receive an answer. "Yes."

"Can you tell me about them then?" Serah asked. "I don't understand how the demons can control them."

Lightning felt a smile steal over her lips. This was one story that she could tell, and it might even do something to ease the ache in her heart. After all, it was the story of how she'd met Fang for the very first time.

"I will tell you, Serah," Lightning began. "But in exchange, I would ask that you speak of this to no one else…"

X X X

Lightning tugged at her cloak and congratulated herself on having the foresight to dismiss her wings. She was less powerful without her wings, and she couldn't fly, but that was fine. The more power she had, the easier it would be for her mother to find her, not to mention that everyone in Hell would know who she was once they saw her wings. Well, she'd been cooped up in her mother's palace all week, and she bored out her mind. There was so much of Hell she hadn't seen, and if her mother wasn't going to show it to her then she'd just have to see it for herself.

Sneaking out of the palace had been the hardest part, but she'd had an entire week to study the patrols, and it wasn't like the guards could refuse an order to back off and give her a little more space. Now, she was on her way north, to the Black Forest. She'd just take a quick look, and she'd be back at the palace before her mother even knew she was gone. Easy.

After what felt like a lot of walking, she reached the outskirts of the Black Forest. Her eyes widened, and she had to fight not to just gawk like some kind of common demon. The whole place was amazing – but it wasn't very well named.

The Black Forest didn't actually have any trees in it. Instead, the whole thing was a maze of black rock thrown about into towering, jagged spires, and long, battered ridges. Even the ground was black, made up of the same stuff as everything else. Here and there, the rocks were cracked, and from some of the cracks rose tall plumes of smoke, whilst others were lit with the glow of fire. This whole place was volcanic. She smiled and closed her eyes as she reached for the fire flowing beneath her feet. It answered at once, and the rocks around her shuddered and bled liquid fire and ash.

This place was the best.

Still smiling, she decided she'd come too far to go back without doing at least a little bit exploring. She'd heard all kinds of stories about the monsters and things that lived here, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem. She could fight, and no demon in Hell would dare lay one hand on her if she told them whom she was.

Quickly but carefully, she picked her way across the rough ground. There were cracks everywhere, and boulders, and even great gashes in the earth where fire shot up toward the sky. She would have to be particularly careful of those, but this was a lot better than just staying in the palace. In the distance, rising like some gigantic, shadowy spear, was a particularly tall spire, its sides bathed in molten lava. She nodded firmly to herself. That was where she wanted to go.

As she continued on, the sky began to darken. Ash and soot filled the air, and soon, the only light came from the glow of fire and lava around her. Still, she wasn't worried. As a demon, things like ash and soot weren't much of a bother, and even the heat should be okay so long as she didn't actually fall into the lava. The only real problem was the monsters.

She saw the first of them as she hopped over a river of fire. It was a big thing, perhaps thirty feet long, and shaped vaguely like a snake. It rose out of the burning river, its eyes the colour of the sun. Lava dripped from its jaws, and its tongue flicked out to taste the air. Its head swayed back and forth through the air for a moment before it lunged straight at her, but she was ready. She dodged to the side, and lashed out with a bolt of electricity. The creature hissed and sank back into the river. It might be used to fire, but lightning was another matter.

With her confidence high, she barely even paused to worry about her feeling of being watched. If it was another predator, then she'd just give it a blast of her lightning, and that would be the end of it. Probably the only thing she couldn't handle was one of the huge dragons that she sometimes saw in the sky. They were massive, their bodies bleeding flame and tar, as they dove through the thick clouds of smoke overhead. From what she'd heard, their bodies were mostly rock and metal, but she doubted they'd pay much attention to her. Dragons would need something much bigger than her to satisfy their hunger.

But perhaps she should have paid closer attention for as she drew closer to the big spire, her feeling of being watched grew stronger and stronger until she could no longer ignore it. Nor could she ignore the dark shadows that flickered at the edges of her vision. Then there were the growls. She gulped and stopped as the first tingles of something that she refused to call fear rippled through her.

"Who's there?" she shouted, looking about. "Come out right now, otherwise I'm going to get really mad."

There was no reply, at least, not at once. Then a large shape peeled away from a slab of rock in front of her. She shivered. She knew what that thing was. It stood perhaps six feet tall at the shoulders, and it was similar in shape to a dog. But its flesh was burning rock, its teeth and claws were gleaming metal, and its eyes were like twin pools of molten tar. It was a Hell hound.

The animal opened its jaws and growled, and the inside of its mouth glowed a dull orange. There was fire inside a Hell hound's belly, and the heat of it was enough to make Lightning break out into a sweat. She lifted one hand, lightning dancing around her fingertips, and then froze as another growl came from behind her. Hell hounds, she remembered, never attacked alone. Any reasonably skilled demon or god could fight off one Hell hound, but a pack of them could bring down even an experienced warrior. And she was no experienced warrior.

As the Hell hound in front of her stepped forward, Lightning turned tail and ran. The area around her was rugged. Maybe she could lose them amongst all the boulders and spires, or maybe she could even climb somewhere they couldn't reach – if they were like dogs, then they probably couldn't climb that well. Or maybe she should just call for her mother? She shook her head. She wouldn't do that, not yet. She'd been good enough to sneak out of the palace, and she could get out of this mess too.

But that was easier said than done. No matter which way she turned, there was a Hell hound. Even as her breathing began to turn ragged, she realised what was happening. They were herding her, guiding her to where they wanted her to go. She, the daughter of the High Mother, was being hunted, and the thought did not sit well with her.

Suddenly, she found herself stuck in a clearing, and backed up against a large rock. There were at least half a dozen Hell hounds around her now, and probably more in the shadows. She would have to fight then. Her hands glowed.

"What are you waiting for?" she spat. "Well?"

The first Hell hound lunged forward, and she turned to meet it, only to realise that the attack was a feint. Something large slammed into her back, and then she was on the ground. She rolled and came face-to-face with gaping jaws, only for the Hell hound to stop short. Her eyes widened as the animal pulled back, one paw resting on her chest, and it narrowed its eyes at her before it sniffed at her more closely. It paused and then sniffed some more, before giving her a long lick with its rough tongue. Then it sank back onto its haunches and gave her what looked an awful lot like the Hell hound equivalent of a smile.

What was going on?

"They've never done that before."

She stumbled to her feet as the pack of Hell hounds rushed toward the edge of the clearing. The big animals crowded around a female demon that looked every bit as young as Lightning, giving off a series of happy cries as the demon reached up to give all of them an affectionate pat or two.

Lightning's eyes narrowed. She didn't recognise this demon. The demon was a little taller than her with a scruffy mane of dark hair, but it was her eyes that stood out the most. They were a piercing green, the same colour as some of the leaves Lightning had seen growing on the trees in Heaven. Hardly anything in Hell was green. The demon also had tanned skin, although that wasn't too surprising considering how things usually were in Hell.

The demon stopped a few feet shy of Lightning, hands resting almost lazily on a crude, but sharp looking spear. "You know, I don't think I've ever met somebody that even a Hell hound wouldn't eat." The demon grinned lazily, her voice filled with something that was halfway between teasing and mockery.

Lightning stiffened. How dare this… this common demon address her like that. Now that the danger seemed to be past, she was quickly remembering just who she was, and the daughter of the High Mother was not supposed to spend her time running from a pack of Hell hounds! "Your Hell hounds almost ate me! Apologise."

"Oh, stop that. They weren't really going to eat you." The demon gave the Hell hound closest to her a rub behind the ears. The huge animal preened and nuzzled at her leg. "They don't eat other demons unless I tell them to. They were just going to scare you a little." She laughed. "And why should I apologise? You're the one who shouldn't be here."

"I shouldn't be here?" Lightning felt her temper flare again. There was something about this demon that grated on her nerves. Her mother was the ruler of Hell – there was no place in Hell that could refuse Lightning entry. "I'll have you know that –" She stopped. She wasn't supposed to let anyone know who she was, otherwise she might get into trouble for sneaking out. "Uh…"

The demon gave a melodramatic sigh. "You're not very clever, are you?" She moved a bit closer and gave Lightning a few pokes with the blunt end of her spear. "And you're kind of funny looking too. I mean, how many demons have pink hair? And your skin is all pale too. You look like a ghost." The demon leaned closer and Lightning stiffened as the demon… leaned in to smell her. "And you smell weird too, sort of like a powerful demon but… kind of like a goddess too."

The Hell hounds snarled at the mere mention of the word 'goddess'.

Lightning scowled. There was a very good reason that she smelled kind of like a goddess – she kind of was one, not that she could say that. "You're being awfully rude," Lightning replied. "And you still haven't told me why I can't be here."

The other demon scowled back. "Because this is my part of the Black Forest, that's why." She jabbed Lighting in the side with the blunt end of her spear again. "I know your type. You're from near the palace. Only demons with connections can stay there. But demons like me, demons who don't know anybody and aren't strong yet, we've got to make do with what we can in places like this."

"Oh." Lightning hadn't really given too much thought to how Hell was run. It made sense in a way. Demons needed to be tough, and forcing people to live in places like this would definitely toughen them up. But that seemed pretty horrible. The Black Forest was a nice place to explore, but living in it couldn't be pleasant. "That's sad, I guess."

"Save your pity." The other demon sighed and pointed her spear. "Just go back to where you came from."

"Not yet." Lightning pointed at the big spire. "I want to get to the top of that."

The other demon scoffed. "You? You'll never make it to the top."

Lightning bristled and folded her arms over her chest. "Just you watch me."

The demon gave her a thoughtful look. "You know, maybe I will. Watching you fail should be pretty fun."

Ignoring the Hell hounds now that she knew they weren't going to eat her, Lightning gave the other demon a ferocious glare and then stomped off toward the spire. She'd gone from scared, to offended, to furious in a matter of moments. She'd show that stupid, common demon that she could do anything she wanted to.

She managed to hold onto that thought until she was about halfway up the spire, seemingly surrounded by lava. The demon, who had decided to climb with her, simply smiled and waved from a nearby ledge.

"It looks like you're having trouble there."

Lightning growled. "Shut up."

The other demon laughed, green eyes twinkling. "If you ask really nicely, I might help you get to the top." She smirked. "But I want a reward."

Lightning, who was dangling more than a thousand feet off the ground, scowled as best she could. She could always fly to the top, but that would be letting the other demon win. She had said she'd climb to the top and she would. But maybe a little bit of help wouldn't be too bad, and it wouldn't really count so long as she climbed up on her own. "What kind of reward?"

The demon smiled. "A favour."

Lightning's eyes narrowed. Demons were notorious when it came to favours. "What kind of favour?" The other demon just continued to smile. "Fine, but I get to set the terms." The other demon nodded, and Lightning allowed herself a vicious grin. Her mother had drilled the importance of terms into her head. Demons might distort the truth, but they honoured the contracts they made. "Here are my terms…"

After listening for the better part of fifteen minutes, the other demon just nodded dumbly. "I guess… where did you learn to set terms like that?"

"My mother," Lightning replied. "Now help me."

The other demon laughed and leapt off her ledge. She landed just above Lightning. "I'll show you how to get to the top. The only question is… can you keep up?"

Lightning growled as the other demon scampered up the rock face. Of course, she could keep up.

An hour later, and Lightning was sitting at the top of the spire, her legs dangling over the edge. Not far away, a waterfall of lava tumbled down the side of the spire. The other demon was there too, poking at Lightning's hair like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Stop that!" Lightning cried. "I'm trying to enjoy the view."

"But it's so pink." The other demon laughed. "Hardly anyone has pink hair in Hell."

Lightning pulled the other demon's hands away and looked out over the Black Forest. It really was a nice view. And one day, all of it might even belong to her. "What's your name?" she asked gruffly.

"My name?" The other demon smirked and poked Lightning's cheek. "Why do you want to know?"

Lightning huffed. It wasn't like she liked the other demon or anything, but it had been pretty fun climbing up the spire, and she didn't really know many other demons her own age and… "Just tell me, okay."

"Fang." The other demon smiled and pointed at her slightly elongated canines. "Because I've got fangs."

Lightning stared. "That's a stupid name."

"Oh yeah?" Fang pulled Lightning's hair. "What's your name then?"

Lightning slapped Fang's hands away and then pulled the other demon's hair. No one pulled her hair and got away with it. As Fang lunged forward again, Lightning held up one hand, her fingers wreathed in electricity. "Most people call me lightning because I'm good at stuff like this."

Fang stared. "You know, your name is pretty stupid too."

"It is not!" Lightning shouted. "My mother calls me that and –"

Whatever else she was about to say was lost as the space in front of them literally exploded in a cloud of fire and thunder. The force of the explosion knocked them off their feet and sent a deep shudder through the spire. When Lightning looked up, she gulped. Her mother was there, and her wings were out, vast curtains as black as the night. She did not look happy.

Etro, High Mother, and Ruler of Hell, looked down at her daughter and scowled. Honestly, she was sorely tempted to just kill all of the guards she'd assigned to watch her, but perhaps torture would be better. It might even send out a stronger message. Her eyes wandered over her daughter and the young demon beside her. The dark haired whelp wasn't much to look at but… her soul was strong. Yes, there was potential there, and her daughter was lacking in company. Had this… scruffy looking demon achieved what so many others had failed to do and actually catch her daughter's interest? How amusing.

"Lightning," Etro said. "We are going home."

Lightning got to her feet. "But, mother –"

"Your mother is the High Mother?" Fang blurted before realising what she'd done. In a flash, she was on her knees, her forehead pressed to the ground.

"Go, Lightning." Etro's lips curled and the air behind her shifted again as several other demons appeared. "They will escort you." Lightning hesitated and her eyes flicked to the other young demon. Interesting. "I wish to speak to this… friend of yours."

X X X

Serah gave Lightning a thoughtful look. "You had some interesting experiences in Hell."

"Yes, I did." Lightning smiled faintly.

"But what happened to Fang?" Serah gasped. "Did she get into trouble?"

To Serah's surprise, Lightning chuckled faintly. "My mother moved Fang and her sister into the palace, along with their Hell hounds. I don't know exactly what Fang said to my mother, but she must have made an impression on her." She sighed. "I think my mother also realised that I needed a friend."

"So, you and Fang became friends, even after her Hell hounds nearly ate you?" Serah giggled. "Still, it seems strange to say that."

"Even demons have friends." Lightning's gaze drifted to her own reflection in the water. Two wings. One black. One white. "And Fang did become my friend, probably the first friend I ever had in Hell." Of course, she'd since become so much more.

"What about now?" Serah asked. "Do you know Fang does now?"

Lightning forced her expression to remain neutral. After the treaty with Hell had broken down, she had no longer been allowed to spend time in Hell. Instead, she'd been forced to live in Heaven. She'd lost Fang, but gained Serah, and by the time she found Fang again, their friendship had turned into something else.

"I'm not entirely sure," Lightning said at last. "Although I know that she still enjoys my Mother's favour."

"And what about that favour you owed her? Did you ever pay her back?" Serah tilted her head to one side.

Lightning smiled faintly. Fang had waited a long, long time to call in that favour. She'd wanted a kiss, and even though Lightning could have refused – it wasn't in the terms of their agreement – she hadn't. That one kiss had been the start of everything. "She did," Lightning said softly, before quickly changing the subject. "But you should be glad, Serah. Had you been in my place, I've no doubt that you'd have been eaten by those Hell hounds."

Serah puffed her cheeks out and glared at Lightning. "I would not. We are sisters, you know. I can be very fierce when I need to be." She held up one petite fist.

Lightning remained silent.

Serah's mouth opened and closed. "Hey!" She splashed some water at Lightning. "I'm not that bad!" She smiled softly. "But maybe… if you want… you could tell me a bit more about your time in Hell." She paused. "It sounds like you were happy there, at least some of the time."

"Yes." Lightning smiled wistfully and thought of emerald eyes and teasing smirks. "I suppose I was happy, at least some of the time."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

So, here's the second chapter. It took me a few tries to get this into a form I was comfortable with posting, but I think it turned out okay. I've been tossing ideas around for my other stories, and I've found that it helps to be writing something while the ideas kind of percolate in the background. It also keeps me from getting rusty.

The idea of Lightning having spent time in Hell during her youth is modelled on the experiences of Urd from Oh My Goddess. Viewed in that context, one could possibly see a bit of Mara in Fang, although the comparison is not very good. For one, I don't really think Urd and Mara have the same sort of relationship that Lightning and Fang obviously have in this story. Fang is also a great deal more competent than Mara (although I've always had the feeling that Mara fails on purpose so she can spend more time on Earth).

In this chapter, I wanted to introduce how Lightning and Fang met (hence the flashback) as well as introduce Serah. As you can imagine, I had a lot of fun writing the meeting between Lightning and Fang. No matter what universe they are in, I have a feeling that Fang will somehow find a way to get on Lightning's nerves. The identity of the High Mother (i.e., Etro) was a logical choice, given that Lightning is basically Etro's knight in FF XIII-2. This should also hint fairly heavily at the identity of the High Father.

On a sort of unrelated note, I am pleased to announce that RedKid11 has drawn a comic of Lightning's flashback from Chapter 10 of _Whispers of the Gods_. It's called "The Worth of a Name" and you can find it on RedKid11's deviant art profile. I strong recommend you drop by and have a look – it looks great. I would post a direct link, but this site tends to mess those up.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**Demons and Dragons**

Fang stopped and turned to study the demons behind her. They were young for demons, little more than children really, but all of them had potential. But potential alone wasn't enough, which was why the High Mother had asked her to supervise their training. Most demons of Fang's rank would have resented such a task, but she was only too happy to agree. Training would take her mind away from other, more sentimental matters. She shivered. Even now, weeks after they had parted, she could still feel Lightning's hands on her skin, to say nothing of the ghostly lips she felt against her own whenever she closed her eyes.

There was also a certain… sadistic pleasure to be had in putting these young demons through their paces. Today's training should prove particularly entertaining in that regard, since today they would be trying to bond with dragons. She chuckled and smiled toothily as the younger demons flinched away. Yes, she would have her hands full keeping all of them alive.

But as dangerous as trying to bond with a dragon was, it was more than worth the risk. The dragons that soared through the skies of Hell were truly formidable beasts. To ride into battle with one was a rare privilege, for there were few creatures in all of creation that could match their size, speed, and strength. Dragons also offered the rarest commodity in Hell – true loyalty. Once a dragon bonded with a demon, only death could revoke its loyalty.

"Today," Fang said, "Your task is simple. You will find a dragon and bond with it."

She grinned as the younger demons stiffened and exchanged wary looks. They all knew that it wasn't that simple, but they were smart enough to try and conceal their fear from her. Still, she could all but taste it, and she gave herself a few moments to savour the flavour of it. For a demon, there were few things finer to the senses than pain and fear, though aggression and anger had a taste all their own. She swallowed thickly, remembering the heady mix of lust and bloodlust that characterised her relationship with Lightning. The goddess was nothing short of splendid in the throes of fury or passion.

"Most of you will fail," Fang continued. "Some of you may even die." Some of the younger demons scowled, and Fang laughed. Good. Anger was much more fitting for demons than fear. "Since I am feeling merciful, I will not punish anyone who fails, provided that I am satisfied by their efforts." She bared her teeth and snarled. "But if any of you give anything less than your very best, I will kill you myself, and I promise you it will be slow and painful."

She paused to let the words sink in. It was at times like this that she was grateful for her reputation. These young demons knew who she was, and all of them knew better than to test her. She had killed far stronger demons for far less. The silence also gave her students time to examine the terrain before them.

They were perched on the outskirts of the City of Ruin. Hell had not always been Hell, and long ago, a city had stood there nestled on the shores of a shining lake, beautiful beyond words, and lovely beyond measure. But the people of that city had been fools. Rather than bow to the High Mother, they had chosen to side with Heaven.

They had paid dearly for their defiance. With a single word, the High Mother had devastated the city. No one had been spared. Men, women, even children – all were slain. And if that were not enough, the High Mother had turned the shining lake that lapped at the shores of the city into a vast, seething pool of molten lava. The dragons had moved in not long after, roosting in the towering, burnt out buildings, and basking in the heat of the blazing lake.

"Before you go, I will show you the kind of power that may one day be yours if you can bond with a dragon." Fang's lips curled. If there was anything that demons craved, it was power. She raised her voice. "Bahamut!"

Her words hung on the wind, and then, in the distance, the surface of the lake of molten lava exploded upward. A shape tore free, vast and terrible. Great torrents of liquid fire sloughed off pitch-black metal as titan wings unfurled and cracked the sky. Violet eyes opened, and a full thousand feet of dragon heaved into the air. A monstrous wave of killing intent swept over the landscape, and the younger demons struggled to stay standing. Fang, however, felt only pride. Bahamut was one of the mightiest dragons in Hell, and he was hers.

As Bahamut thundered through the air toward them, lava poured off his body, and the sky trembled as he bellowed a challenge. Few dragons had truly black scales and even fewer had violet eyes. Since his birth, Bahamut's unusual colouring had made him a target. He had been forced to grow larger, stronger, and more ferocious simply to survive. With one last, terrifying cry, he folded his wings and landed nearby. The ground shuddered beneath his tremendous weight, and his claws gouged deep trenches into the hard rock at his feet.

"This is Bahamut." Fang chuckled as the dragon eyed the younger demons and snarled. Her duties meant that she had precious little time with him, and he was not pleased at the prospect of sharing. Gently, she reached out with her soul to soothe him through their bond. They would have ample time together so long as he refrained from eating her students. "As you can see, he is very, very powerful. However, few dragons of this size are willing to bond, so I would suggest that you start with something smaller, preferably a dragon that has just left the nest." She smiled thinly. "Avoid dragons that are still in the nest. Their mothers rarely think very much of demons." She gestured at the City of Ruin. "Now, go. I do not care if you work together or alone, but I will be watching, and if you disappoint me, I will feed you to Bahamut."

The other demons vanished, streaking through the air toward the ruins. Fang floated up onto Bahamut's head and watched them go.

Fang gave the dragon's head a pat. "Remember the first time we met?"

Bahamut said nothing, but Fang could read his thoughts through their bond. He still remembered. There had been two others with Fang that day. One of them – the loud one with red hair – still visited regularly, but the other one – with pink hair and eyes like a storm – had not visited for centuries. He missed that one. She smelled like thunder, and her soul had felt as big as the sky.

Fang smiled faintly as Bahamut took to the air. It would be much easier to watch all of her students from above. "I miss her too. Believe me, I miss her too." And as the wind rushed past, she let her mind drift back to the day she had first met Bahamut.

X X X

"Why are we going to the City of Ruin, Fang?"

Fang grinned at Lightning. The other demon was scowling at her, which was something she seemed to do almost all of the time. Lightning even scowled at her when she was happy. "We're going to bond with a dragon. Honestly, Lightning, you're a demon, you should know these things."

Lightning's scowl deepened. "I don't spend all my time here, you know. I have to spend time Up There too."

Fang winced. "Oh, yeah."

It couldn't be easy spending time up in Heaven. From what Lightning had told her, they were all a bunch of stuck up jerks, who never let her have any fun at all. And they had all those rules too. It was ridiculous. Up there, Lightning got into trouble if she blasted the gods that made fun of her. Well, that was stupid. If those gods didn't want to be blasted, they should have known better than to make fun of Lighting's wings. If Fang had been in Lightning's place, she would have torn their throats out.

"Don't worry," Fang said firmly. "You won't have to go back for ages." She smirked and grabbed Lightning's arm to pull her along. The other demon had a tendency to mope whenever she thought too much about Heaven, and Fang hated it when Lightning moped. Lightning was much better when she was angry or grumpy. "Anyway, everyone knows that most dragons roost in the City of Ruin, so if we're going to bond with a dragon, we have to go there."

"But how do you bond with a dragon?" Lightning's face scrunched up, and Fang fought the urge to pinch her cheeks. It was cute, not that she'd ever say that. Demons, especially the daughter of the High Mother, didn't do cute.

This time, instead of Fang, it was Vanille who answered. The red head was younger and smaller than them, but she could keep up as long as they stayed on the ground. "A dragon bonds to a demon by establishing a connection between their souls. If a dragon likes you and judges you worthy, it will choose to bond with you."

"And if you're not worthy?" Lightning asked.

Vanille smiled sunnily. "Then it'll kill you, I guess. Or it might just mangle you a lot. But, yeah, it'll probably kill you."

Fang laughed and threw one arm about Lightning's shoulders. Lightning didn't normally like other demons touching her, but she let Fang get away with a lot. "Stop worrying. We'll be fine, and don't forget, you're the High Mother's daughter. What dragon could resist you?"

Lightning's glare was cold, even in the fires of Hell. "Oh no, this is your idea, Fang. If anyone is going near a dragon, it's you."

"Fine," Fang grumbled. "But what if it tries to eat me?" She got along quite well with most animals, but she'd never approached a dragon before.

Lightning gave her a haughty look. "Are you forgetting that you belong to me, Fang? I won't let a dragon eat what's mine."

Fang laughed. "So glad you care, Your Highness."

Lightning scowled. "It would take too much trouble to find another friend." She glared at Vanille. "And at least you didn't blow up my room."

"You have more than one room," Vanille whined. "And the High Mother did like the explosives I used. Demons even use them on missions now."

"I had stuff I liked in that room." Lightning frowned. "And that wasn't even the last time you did it. I'm just glad that my mother gave you your own lab, otherwise we'd all be dead by now."

Vanille opened her mouth to reply, but Fang cut her off. "Vanille, you're my sister and I love you, but she's right. Now, come on, we need to get moving."

They picked up the pace, and it wasn't much longer before they reached the edge of the City of Ruin. As they crested the last hill, they took a few moments to stop and stare. Even in Hell, the ruins were incredible.

The ruins were larger than the Black Forest, and the buildings that remained towered thousands of feet into the air. There were shorter buildings too, but even those were gigantic, large enough to fit full-grown dragons. Most striking of all, however, were the proportions of everything. The windows, stairs, streets, and doors – all of them seemed to be made for beings far larger than demons. And hanging over all of it was an air of absolute desolation.

It was like an enormous bomb had gone off at the centre of the city, annihilating everything in the centre, and ripping apart much of the rest. Even the ground had a different texture, as though it had been fused into a single patch of molten rock and left to cool. That anything still stood was a testament to the skill and craftsmanship that had gone into the city's construction – and the terrible power of its destroyer.

"They say that when the High Mother first came here, there were giants that served Heaven," Vanille murmured. Out of the three of them, she enjoyed their classes the most. "They refused to bow to the High Mother, and so she made an example of them. These ruins are all that remain."

"Your mother is awesome," Fang whispered to Lightning. The High Mother was the strongest of all demons, but it was rare for her to flaunt her power.

"The dragons moved in a while later," Vanille added. "And they've been roosting here ever since."

"Let's get moving then," Lightning said. The dark clouds that filled the sky made it hard to see above them, but even so, she could sense that they were not alone. "It's too open out here."

"We'll go through the ruins first," Fang said. "Then maybe the lake." She pointed to the enormous lake of molten lava that lapped at the edges of the city. "We should try a younger dragon too, since the older ones are even more unfriendly."

Together, the three of them crept into the ruins. Picking their way through the broken, battered city, Fang felt very strange. Since she had met Lightning, she had quickly found favour with the High Mother, and given proper training and instruction for the first time, her powers had grown at an incredible rate. She no longer felt small and helpless even though she looked like a mortal of about twelve. But here, in these ruins, surrounded by evidence of the High Mother's overwhelming power, she felt tiny. Would Lightning become this powerful? She shivered. For some reason, the thought didn't scare her so much as it excited her.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Fang turned her attention to her surroundings. She had keen senses, even for a demon, and right now, all of them were telling her to leave. This place was dangerous, but they hadn't come this far to go back with nothing. Beside her, Vanille was eagerly recording everything on a small device that she had cobbled together. It was supposedly quite an improvement on the equipment currently used on missions, and the High Mother would doubtless be quite interested in the results.

"It's beautiful," Lightning said quietly as they climbed over a pile of rubble and snuck into one of the buildings. Inside, a huge ramp wound its way up toward an open balcony five hundred feet above.

"You've got that right." Fang ran one hand along the walls. There was writing there that she couldn't read. "I think we're close. I smell fire."

Lightning made a face and sniffed at the air. "There's fire everywhere."

Fang grinned. "My nose is better than yours." She tugged at Vanille, who was busy trying to translate the writing. "Come on."

They pressed themselves against the wall, their small frames dwarfed by the sheer size of it. The balcony was of the same scale, easily four hundred feet across, and there, nestled among a pile of half-melted rocks and rubble, was a baby dragon. It was a good seven feet long, and it seemed to be asleep, one wing folded over its head, and a scorched, half-eaten animal on the ground nearby.

"It's so cute," Vanille whispered. "Maybe we can bring it back to the palace with us." She fumbled in her pockets. "There's this thing I've been working on and –"

"Quiet," Fang said. "It might look cute, but I bet it's mother doesn't." She paused. "You were listening during class, right?" Vanille nodded. "So, how exactly do we bond with it?"

Lightning grabbed Fang's arm and squeezed hard. She bared her teeth. "Did you lead us out here without knowing how to bond with a dragon?"

Vanille frowned. "They didn't really say anything in class except for what I've already said. I think we're supposed to be a bit older before we try and bond with a dragon."

Lightning's eyes narrowed, and she folded her arms over her chest. "We are not going back empty handed. Fang, go over there and try." She shoved Fang onto the balcony. "We'll be here."

"Fine," Fang mumbled. She supposed it was fair that she try first since it was her idea, and if things went wrong then Lightning and Vanille were there to help. True, demons rarely trusted each other fully, but she trusted them with her life, and knew they felt the same.

As quietly as she could, she snuck across the balcony toward the baby dragon, watchful for any sign of its mother. As she got closer, the baby dragon gave a little shiver and then woke. She felt something brush against her mind, and realised that it must be the dragon trying to understand whom she was and why she was there.

"Hey there," Fang whispered. "I'm Fang, what's your –"

The dragon shrieked.

Uh oh. Fang gulped. "Wait, calm down. I don't want to hurt you or anything. I just want to be your friend, so calm down and –"

The dragons shrieked again, only this time, there was an answering cry from above. Fang looked up, and her eyes widened as two hundred feet of dragon raced toward her.

"Run!" Fang screamed, sprinting toward Lightning and Vanille. "Run!"

The pair took one look at the dragon, and then the three of them were pelting down the ramp. There was a thud as the dragon landed on the balcony, and before they could even get halfway down, a blast of white-hot fire raced after them. Fang cursed and shoved Vanille behind her as Lightning turned and threw up a shimmering barrier of power. The wave of fire hit with a boom, and Lightning cursed as the barrier began to crack.

"Help me," Lightning cried. "Quick!"

Fang nodded, and added her power to Lightning's. For a split-second, their souls touched, and Fang reeled. Touching Lightning's soul was like being caught in the heart of a storm. There was so much power there, so much raw emotion, that Fang wondered how Lightning could possibly bear it. Then the moment passed, and her whole world was the paper-thin, glowing barrier that separated them from a horrible, fiery death.

Finally, the fire receded. The blast had melted half the ramp, and blown several large holes in the walls, but somehow, they were still alive. But the dragon wasn't done yet. With a roar, it shoved its way onto the ramp, and rumbled toward them.

"Fly!" Fang shouted. "Fly!"

Fang had just enough time to summon her wings before the dragon unleashed another torrent of fire. She grabbed Vanille and shot into the air, angling the two of them toward one of the holes in the wall. The red head could fly, but not nearly as fast as Fang or Lightning. As for Lightning, Fang wasn't worried. She'd never seen a demon so naturally gifted in the air.

Once she was clear of the building, Fang flapped her wings to gain some height and then let go of Vanille. The younger demon should be okay to fly now that they were out in the open. A few seconds later, Lightning emerged from another hole in the building, her wings easily carrying her level with Fang.

"What now?" Lightning asked.

"Now, we hope it doesn't come after us," Fang said. Below them, the building gave a deep groan, before the dragon launched itself into the air toward them.

Lightning made a disgusted sound. "So much for that idea." Her wings beat the air quickly in agitation. "We might be able to outrun it, Fang, but Vanille –"

"We're not leaving her," Fang snapped.

Lightning growled. "Of course not. "But if we're going to fight, we need a plan. That dragon is too big for us to fight fairly."

"I have some explosives," Vanille offered. "Not enough to kill it, but I should be able to hurt it."

Fang and Lightning shared a look. They had trained together for years now, and they knew each other's skills intimately. With Vanille's explosives, they might have a chance.

"Fang, Vanille, I need you to distract it," Lightning said.

Fang frowned. "I'm best with fire and wind, Lightning, neither of which are very good against dragons."

"You don't need to kill it." Lightning's eyes narrowed. "Only distract it for a while."

Fang smiled toothily. "You're going to be calling the lightning then?" Lightning nodded. "Sounds like a plan then."

"And me?" Vanille asked.

"You're with me." Fang grabbed Vanille. "Hit it with your explosives, and for Hell's sake, Vanille, try not to get eaten."

Fang and Vanille darted off in one direction as Lightning raced up into the clouds. The dragon wavered, and Fang tossed a bolt of fire into its eye. It snarled, more angry than hurt, and shot after her as Vanille reached into her pockets and grabbed several handfuls of small, red spheres. The red head lobbed the spheres at the dragon, and the beast roared as dozens of small explosions blanketed its body.

Enraged, the dragon rounded on Vanille, and Fang bit back a curse. Vanille wasn't good enough in the air to evade the dragon, and at this distance, she wasn't sure she could reach the red head in time. But before the dragon could reach Vanille, there was a crack of thunder and the clouds above the dragon came apart.

Lightning dived toward the dragon, her mismatched wings folded shut. Electricity seethed around one of her hands, and the dragon banked to try and dodge, but it was pointless. Lightning was far, far too agile in the air. Lightning slammed one hand into the dragon's side, and it shrieked as electricity crackled over its body. It plummeted several hundred feet before it managed to regain control over its body. It gave them one last furious glare and then fled.

"Well," Fang said as the three of them landed on top of a deserted building. "That could have gone better."

Crunch.

Fang groaned and pried herself out of the wall that Lightning had punched her into. "Maybe next time," she groaned. "We could find one that's moved out of the nest."

Their new plan seemed reasonable enough, but it was far from successful. If anything, things went even worse as adolescent dragon after adolescent dragon turned on Fang, and it wasn't long before they decided to try their luck at the lake. Dragons loved the heat, and they might have more success bonding with dragons that were in a better mood. Besides, they could hardly do worse, considering that most of the dragons they'd met so far had tried to eat Fang.

They edged their way along the shores of the fiery lake, careful to keep their distance from the huge, winged leviathans that wallowed in the shadows. Fang tried to approach a few of the smaller dragons that frolicked in the lava, but each time she was met with bared teeth and blasts of fire.

Just as she was about to give up – and try and tease Lightning into trying – she noticed a commotion along the far shore of the lake. There were several adolescent dragons there, each about forty feet long. They were splashing about in the lava, hacking and clawing at something, and the fire they spat made it clear that this was more than a petty squabble.

"What's that?" Fang asked, tugging Lightning and Vanille along.

They made their way closer, and Fang's eyes widened as one of the dragons was hurled out of the lake, its stomach ripped open and one of its wings torn off. An instant later, the lava parted as the dragon at the centre of the melee retreated onto the beach. Fang gasped. It wasn't unusual for dragons to be darkly coloured, but she'd never seen a black one before, never mind one with violet eyes. That must be why the others were attacking it – it's unusual colouring made it an easy target.

But what the dragon lacked in numbers, it made up for in ferocity. As the others closed in, it snarled in defiance. Its body was covered in wounds, but it refused to give in. Anything it could reach, it gouged and ripped and tore. When it could, the black dragon reared back and breathed fire into the faces of its attackers. The battle dragged on for several minutes, until the other dragons finally backed away. Despite being alone, the black dragon was not the easy prey they had expected.

Yet the black dragon's victory had been costly. One of its wings was broken, and its flanks were badly torn. As the other dragons flew back to the city, it dragged itself away from the lake and toward a collection of smaller ruins nestled amongst the hills nearby. It was an outcast, Fang realised, perhaps because of its colour.

"That one," Fang whispered. "That's the one."

Vanille stared. "Are you crazy?"

Fang shook her head and stepped forward. "No, I can feel it. That's the dragon for me."

Lightning pursed her lips. "Fang, are you sure?"

Fang nodded firmly. "Absolutely."

"Then we'll go get it." Lightning sighed. "But be carefully. Every dragon we've met so far has tried to eat you."

The three of them followed the dragon back to its lair, and Fang watched as it tended to its wounds as best it could. She felt something inside her tighten. She could remember the days when she and Vanille had been alone, before she'd tamed the Hell hounds and claimed a small patch of the Black Forest for them to live in. She knew what it was like to fight tooth and nail for every scrap of food and recognition. Hell had no place for weaklings.

"Stay here," Fang whispered.

Before the others could object, she stepped out into the open. The dragon hissed and bared its teeth as smoke billowed from between its jaws, but Fang held her ground. The dragon's mind brushed against hers, and she forced herself to relax.

"You're a fighter." Fang grinned. "I like that, because I'm the same. I know what it's like to have to fight every day for what little you can call your own." She lifted one hand and formed one of the few healing spells she knew. "Let me help you."

The dragon snarled, but there was far less venom in it. It wasn't used to being treated kindly, Fang realised. And although it was wary, it was also hurt and exhausted. Slowly, she walked forward and let the healing magic flow into the worst of the dragon's wounds before she readied another spell. The touch on her mind grew less forceful and more curious.

"My name is Fang," she said. "And I think we should be friends. I saw you fight, and you're tough, but you could use a little help. So could I, now and then, and it's better to have friends than to be alone." She flicked her head toward Lightning and Vanille. "We know what it's like to be alone, and we're all happier now that we're together." She extended one hand. "Join us."

There was a rush of movement and suddenly the dragon was only a hair's breadth away. The connection between her and the dragon grew stronger, and she swayed as the dragon's thoughts and memories washed over her.

The dragon's name was Bahamut, and he had been the runt of the litter, always smaller, and weaker, and the wrong colour. But he had grown strong. Abandoned by his mother and siblings, his life had been a constant struggle, and each battle had hardened him. There was no place for him in the ruins, so he had found his own on the other side of the lake. While the other dragons had been coddled, he had grown cunning and fierce. But he was lonely, although perhaps, he would not have to be lonely anymore.

Fang reeled back as the dragon's thoughts faded. She knew, in some instinctive way, that the contact had not been one way. He had read her thoughts and seen her memories, and he was pleased by what he'd seen. Slowly, reverently, she reached out to touch Bahamut's snout. He stilled to permit the touch, and she felt a fire ignite in the corner of her soul. He was hers now, and she was his.

"Come on," Fang cried, waving Vanille and Lightning over. "We need to get him healed." She smirked. "And we need to plan a surprise for those other dragons too."

X X X

Fang grinned as Bahamut settled atop of one of the tallest building in the City of Ruin. Since their first meeting, he had grown much stronger, and much larger, and he had clawed his way to the top. There were a few dragons that could match his power, but they had an agreement of sorts to split the ruins between them.

The only downside to Bahamut's increased size was the fact that he could no longer fit in Fang's chambers in the palace. He could lounge about outside, but the High Mother seemed to find it amusing to send demons that had displeased her to fight the dragon. The resulting battles were hilariously one-sided, but some of the demons had given Bahamut a bad case of indigestion.

Since Bahamut could no longer come to the palace, Fang made sure to visit him whenever she could. It was just a pity that the Balance was in place. During the War, the two of them had carved a bloody swathe through the ranks of Heaven, and devastated countless worlds. Vanille also visited quite often, and the pair seemed to have a shared love of fire and destruction.

The only one who never visited Bahamut anymore was Lightning. The dragon missed her, for in the old days, Lightning had often spent hours flying with him and Fang. He understood, in a rough way, that Heaven was responsible for Lightning's absence, which explained at least some of the fury that overtook him whenever he and Fang fought Heaven. One day, Fang promised, they would all be together again, her, Lightning, Vanille, and Bahamut,

With a sigh, she turned her attention back to her students. Two of them had managed to bond with a dragon, but she'd already been forced to intervene several times. Despite her earlier words, she wasn't going to let any of them be eaten. They had received far too much training to allow that, and a near death experience or two should provide added incentive to train harder.

Her lips curled as she realised that one of her students, Fujin, had managed to bond with a dragon. How fitting. The young demon had silver hair and a single, bloody eye. Judging by its colouring, the dragon she'd bonded with was one of Bahamut's children, and like Fujin, the dragon had only one eye.

"Well," Fang remarked. "At least this way, they'll have a pair of eyes between them."

Bahamut's chuckle shook the building.

Fang pursed her lips. It was at time like this that she missed Lightning the most. Lightning should be there beside her, making fun of the younger demons, not sitting somewhere in Heaven with a bunch of arrogant fools who couldn't hope to understand her the way Fang did. Bahamut sensed her unease and rumbled unhappily.

"Easy there," Fang said. "I'll see her again, and maybe one day, I'll be able to smuggle her down to see you." She smirked as an idea occurred to her. "I could even take her prisoner. Of course, I'd have to torture her horribly, although I suppose there are other ways I could make her scream."

Bahamut chortled.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

This chapter was a bit of a disaster zone at first. Most of the time I only need to write something twice (first draft and then final copy), but this is the fourth version of this chapter since the others were pretty bad.

Anyway, this chapter takes us back to the past again. As you can see, Lightning's past in Hell was, for the most, a happy one, although she was obligated to spend time in Heaven. As the child of the High Mother and the High Father she is the ultimate bargaining chip in Heaven/Hell politics. I also wanted to go into the past because the romance between Fang and Lightning takes a more prominent role in this story than in some of my others, as a result, it's important that I develop the characters and their shared past properly. For people wanting more steamy stuff, don't worry, we're only three chapters in. I wouldn't expect a full lemon, however, despite requests from certain individuals that I write one. If I ever do one, I would probably do it for _Ordinary Heroes_ since those readers have been asking longer.

I also have two other things to mention. First, my laptop screen has decided to die on me, which, as you can imagine, makes writing on my laptop very difficult (and I do almost all of my writing on my laptop). On the upside, I can plug my laptop into my television, but that's not exactly an optimal solution, although that was how I managed to get this chapter written. The other thing I wanted to mention is that redkid11 has a comic up on her deviant art account of Chapter 11 of _Whispers of the Gods_ (it's called 'Lightning Without Thunder'). I strongly urge you to go have a look. It's very awesome, and it has my official, author stamp of approval!

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wings Of Shadow**

Lightning folded her wings and landed on one of the uppermost branches of an enormous tree. Only a handful of worlds had trees like this, so tall that their tops reached the clouds. But this world was covered in them. Their myriad branches grew together to form countless layers of vegetation that stretched thousands of feet above the ground. All around her, birds, insects and a host of other creatures flitted from place to place. Many of them probably lived their whole lives without ever seeing the ground, never mind touching it.

But she was not there simply to admire the beauty of the place – and it was beautiful, even by Heaven's standards. On the contrary, she was there to find a relic that was almost certainly the cause of the jungle's world-spanning growth. In the days before first war between Heaven and Hell, a race of large, highly intelligent insects had ruled this world. Their technology had allowed them to rapidly transform the entire surface of the planet into one gigantic jungle. But eventually the war had come to their world. Within two days, the surface of the planet had been scoured clean. Nothing had been left save ash and dust.

And so the planet had stayed for countless years, silent and dead.

Neither Heaven nor Hell had given the place much thought after that. The war had continued, and the fields of battle had moved. And when the great truce had been put in place, there hadn't been any reason at all to care about a dead world in the middle of nowhere. It was just another casualty in a conflict that had too many to count. However, a few days ago, a routine scouting mission had uncovered something remarkable. Not only had the planet recovered – it had done so without any signs of outside intervention.

Somewhere on the surface of the planet was a power capable of turning a barren, blasted lump of rock into a world teeming with life. The High Father was certain that a relic from the insects was responsible – an ark of sorts designed to protect their planet's life in times of crisis and programmed to restore it when conditions were once again safe. If such a thing truly existed, then it was vital that Heaven secure it before Hell.

Many of the High Father's advisors had recommended a full squad of Valkyries be dispatched to find and retrieve the relic, but Lightning had disagreed. All of their intelligence indicated that Hell did not know about the relic. Any large-scale movement of Valkyries was bound to draw attention, and truce or not, the High Mother could hardly allow them to simply fly down and take it. No, the best option would be for Lightning to go alone and retrieve the relic herself. It would be quick, quiet and efficient.

However, that was easier said than done. Whatever power the relic used to operate also made it almost impossible to locate with magic. The dense jungle also ensured that it would be extremely difficult to locate visually. Her best option was to do a methodical sweep of the planet's surface. Even if her magic couldn't pinpoint the relic's position precisely, she was certain that she would be able to sense it once she got close enough. Anything powerful enough to rebuild an entire world had to give off some kind of energy signature.

"Perhaps it would have been better to bring a few of the others," Lightning murmured as she took to the air again. "This could take a while."

Still, the thought of spending more time on the planet didn't really bother her. It was a chance to spend some time alone. For as much as she had come to love her sister and a few of the other gods, she also loved her privacy, and there was precious little of that for her in Heaven. She had the Valkyries to lead, younger gods to teach and many other duties. There were always eyes on her. Some of them were friendly, but others were unkind. Even if no one had the courage to say it to her face, there were would always be those who thought less of her because of her heritage and would like nothing more than to see her fail. For all its splendour, even Heaven had an ugly side.

As she glided over the jungle, her wings angled to catch the breeze, a flock of small reptiles filled the air around her. They were about a foot long and looked like miniature dragons. On top, their scales were a lush green, and on the bottom, their scales were a pale blue. It was probably camouflage. A predator coming at them from above would lose them against the green of the forest, whereas a predator coming from below would lose them against the blue of the sky.

One of the little reptiles drew level with her face and shot her a curious look. Her brows furrowed. Perhaps she should catch one. Serah loved animals, and these creatures looked harmless enough. She could even have one examined by the gods who specialised in the study of animal life to ensure that it was safe.

A sudden flash of movement from the corner of her eye broke her from her thoughts. To the south, a large flock of these reptiles had suddenly taken wing. Unlike those beside her, their flight was far swifter and more haphazard. Something had disturbed them, something that might be worth investigating. As she angled toward the south, a pulse of raw magical energy swept past her. She swayed in the air and had to brace herself as the shockwave drove more and more of the reptiles out of the jungle and into the sky. Most animals could sense magic, even if they couldn't use it themselves. But who was using it? There shouldn't be anyone else on the planet with magic.

Another pulse rippled through the air, stronger this time, and the sky above the jungle to the south rippled as though torn. A containment field! Someone was trying to hide what was happening to the south. Hell must know about the relic. Her jaw clenched. She could call for reinforcements, but there was no guarantee they would get there in time. No, this was something she'd handle herself.

Quickening her pace, Lightning's breath rushed out in a gasp as another blast of demonic magic shook the jungle, only to be answered by a power that was intimately familiar to her: Fang. Fang was there and she was using her magic to fight, which didn't make any sense at all unless… her eyes narrowed.

Demons could be quite mercenary when it came to winning the High Mother's favour. Treachery was common, and it wasn't at all unusual for demons to sabotage and even kill one another if they thought they could get away with it. If the relic was as powerful as the High Father believed, then there would definitely be demons willing to kill some of their own kind to ensure that they were the ones to present it to the High Mother.

A vast pillar of flame shot upward from the jungle floor and Lightning threw all caution to the wind. That wasn't one of Fang's attacks, and it felt different from the magic she'd felt before, which meant that Fang was outnumbered at least two to one. As the flame cleared, it left a mile-wide circle of devastation in its wake.

"Lightning!" A red headed blur streaked toward her, and Lightning barely managed to adjust her flight in time to catch Vanille rather than run right into the younger demon. "You have to help!"

Under normal circumstances, Lightning would have been overjoyed to see Vanille – it had been too long since they'd last spoken – but these were not normal circumstances. Heaven's protocol demanded that she capture and bind Vanille, but the thought never even crossed her mind. Instead, she had thoughts only for the tears that trickled down Vanille's face and the burn marks and tears in her clothing.

"What's happening?" Lightning asked.

"It's Fang!" Vanille cried as she clutched miserably at Lightning's armour. "We were supposed to bring back this relic, and things were going fine when these other demons came and –"

"I see." Lightning's eyes drifted to the south. Half a dozen demons were headed right toward them. They weren't especially powerful, but Vanille had never been good at fighting. Lightning, however, was very good at fighting. "Stay behind me. We'll help Fang together."

Vanille nodded slowly. "Be careful, there are a lot of them, and at least two of them are Demons 1st Class with Unrestricted Licenses."

"That doesn't matter." Lightning snarled and above them, the sky darkened. "Nobody hurts what's mine."

As the first bolt of lightning surged from the clouds toward the oncoming demons, Vanille felt a shiver run through her. With her teeth bared in fury, Lightning looked less a goddess and every inch the daughter of the High Mother, ruler of Hell.

X X X

Fang drove her spear into the gut of another demon and wrenched the weapon free in a shower of gore. The demon clutched hopelessly at the wound, and she put him out of his misery with a blast of power that hurled him a hundred feet to crash into the trunk of one of the huge trees. But no sooner had he fallen than another two hastened to take his place. She growled. These demons weren't nearly strong enough to kill her, but there were enough of them to keep her from getting at the real threat.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, Fang. Perhaps I can make things more interesting." The words came from a female demon as she brushed back a lock of her long silver hair. Yellow eyes narrowed. "How about this?"

The space around Fang rippled, and she let loose a vicious curse before she shot up into the air. An instant later, a vast swathe of the jungle simply ceased to exist as the female demon's magic shredded the fabric of space and time. Sunlight rebounded off the affected area, and for a split-second a thousand different images filled the space where the ruined jungle had been as the flow of time struggled to adjust. Then the spell faded, and in its wake, a huge patch of the jungle was just… gone.

"Well, you are certainly very quick on your feet." The female demon smiled at Fang. She didn't seem the least bit bothered by the fact that her attack had missed, or by the fact that it had killed half a dozen of her allies. "I'll have to do something about that. Seifer!"

And that, right there, was why Fang hated fighting someone like Ultimecia. Not only was the other demon enormously powerful in her own right, she had a knack for rallying others to her cause. And she knew exactly how to bide her time and wait for the perfect moment to strike.

That moment had come only a few minutes ago as Fang and Vanille had exited the elaborate underground facility responsible for rebuilding this world. It was a marvel of technology: a colossal machine designed to safeguard countless genetic samples. But more than that, it also contained equipment for terraforming and accelerating the growth of any organisms based on those genetic samples. Vanille had been all over it, and the younger demon was confident that given a few years, she could probably build one of her own.

The relic was clearly too big to fit through a normal portal – and that was assuming they could get it out of the ground – so they had decided to go back to Hell to report their findings to the High Mother. But as soon as they'd reached the surface, everything had gone wrong. Someone had put a containment field over the area, making it almost impossible for them to leave, and within moments they'd been under attack from dozens of lesser demons.

Fang had fought the lesser demons off easily enough, and that's when Ultimecia had revealed herself. The other demon's first spell would have killed Vanille outright if Fang hadn't shoved the red head out of the way and taken the brunt of it herself. At least, the blast had damaged the containment field as well, and she'd ordered Vanille to run. She couldn't fight Ultimecia and protect Vanille at the same time. Then Seifer had appeared as well, and things had taken yet another turn for the worse.

As the blonde demon shot up into the air after her, Fang cursed herself for letting her mind wander. There would be plenty of time to think about all the things that had gone wrong after she'd finished fighting – that's if she survived. Ultimecia alone would have been incredibly dangerous to face, add in Seifer and the rest of her lackeys, and Fang's odds of winning were far from favourable. At the very least, however, she needed to buy Vanille enough time to open a portal and get back to Hell. She would be safe in the palace there.

Fang waved one hand and dozens of plumes of flame shot through the air toward Seifer. The other demon bobbed and weaved through the hail of fire, and his sword whipped up in a savage arc toward her.

"Fire Cross!"

There was a surge of magic, and Fang's eyes widened as a colossal pillar of fire rocketed up from the jungle floor. She knew, in an instant, that she'd never be able to dodge it, so instead, she did the opposite: she charged right at it. Of course, that wasn't all she did. With a growl, she gathered her power and fired a lance of wind ahead, one scarcely wide enough for her to fit in. The fire parted before her spell, and she folded her wings and dove straight at Seifer.

He barely managed to bring his sword up in time to block the thrust of her spear, but the force of the blow was enough to send him spinning end over end. His wings beat the air furiously, but she had no intention of letting him right himself. A bolt of fire caught him square in the chest, and he crashed through the jungle canopy and into the ground below.

"Clever."

Fang wheeled around just in time to dodge the spells thrown by another group of Ultimecia's lackeys. The other demon was careful to keep them between her and Fang at all times, and with good reason. Ultimecia's magic was powerful, but it took time to prepare; time these lesser demons would buy with their lives.

"Do you really think you'll get away with this?" Fang asked as she gutted one lesser demon and burned another out of the sky. Her lips curled. They were scarcely more than children compared to her, but this was no time for mercy. Besides, they'd thrown their lot in with Ultimecia. "Once I get back to Hell, you will be punished. I can promise you that."

"You are assuming that you'll make it back." Ultimecia fired off another one of her spells, and once again, Fang was forced to dive frantically to avoid the tremendous devastation it caused.

"Even if I don't, Vanille will." Fang streaked into open space and hurled a combination of wind and fire at Ultimecia that seemed to set half the sky ablaze. But the attack barely phased the other demons. Instead, she raised one hand, and the space in front of her rippled and tore. The flames bent around the twisted space like a stream around a boulder.

"Seifer," Ultimecia muttered. "How long do you plan on lying there" You're not dead, so get back to work."

Several ribbons of fire burst out of the jungle below, and Fang slapped one aside before dodging the others. Seifer soared up to meet her, and the air was filled with the clash of their weapons as they exchanged blows and jockeyed for position. He was good, very good, and this time, he wasn't taking any chances. Instead, he kept as close to her as possible, mindful of the greater reach her spear provided, and rather than throwing any of his stronger spells, he peppered her with a constant stream of weaker, but still dangerous, magic.

Seifer alone was bad enough, but there were still a few of the lesser demons left, and they hastened to take advantage of the situation. Fang hissed as one of them landed a deep cut along her side with his sword. She killed him for it, but then another managed to score a gash along her left wing. If they knocked her out of the air, she would be in serious, serious trouble.

To try and buy herself a bit of room, Fang loosed a spherical blast of flame. It was enough to drive the lesser demons off, but Seifer refused to give her the time and space she needed to swing things back in her favour. Behind him, the lesser demons began to pool their power, and she realised too late what they were about to do.

Magic washed over her, and she cursed, caught in mid air. It was a slowing spell, one designed to hold her in place, and it took her less than a heartbeat to break out of it. But that split-second was the difference between victory and defeat. For that extra split-second was all Ultimecia needed to land one of her spells.

As the sky shattered in the wake of Ultimecia's magic, Fang fell. Darkness closed in on her, and the last thing she saw was the flash of lightning in the distance. How appropriate.

X X X

Ultimecia allowed herself a moment to savour the sight of Fang tumbling to the ground. The other demon wasn't quite dead, but it would be simple enough to finish her. She might even take her time.

Honestly, it had almost been too easy. For all her power – and Fang was powerful, not even Ultimecia would deny that – she cared far too much for that brat of a demon she called a sister. Vanille might be exceedingly clever, but in a fight, she was practically useless. Fang had taken the brunt of Ultimecia's first spell, and from that moment on, the outcome of the battle had been decided.

With Seifer and a host of lesser demons to keep Fang occupied, Ultimecia had been free to pick and choose which spells she wanted to use. One good hit was all she needed, and she'd finally gotten it. If Fang's dragon had been there, it would have been a different story, but Ultimecia had chosen this mission to make her move for two very good reasons.

First and foremost, Fang and Vanille would be alone and far from Hell. Second, the prize was more than worth the risk. The relic was everything she'd hoped it would be. Once she learned how to properly harness its power, she could transform entire worlds as she saw fit. She would have her own Hell, one with demons born loyal to her and not the High Mother. She could even have her own dragons. Yes, it had been more than worth the risk.

"Seifer," she said. "I will finish Fang. Find Vanille and deal with her."

Seifer nodded, but before he could move, an overwhelming pressure filled the air. Raw hate and fury washed over them, and Ultimecia searched the skies for its source. Above them, the clouds had grown dark, and great, jagged forks of lightning streaked from horizon to horizon.

"What is this?" Seifer murmured.

"I'm not sure." Ultimecia gathered her power. "But I will find out."

She didn't have to look far. Hardly a moment had passed, when Vanille arrived together with someone that Ultimecia most certainly did not expect. It had been centuries, but Ultimecia would recognise that hair and those eyes anywhere. Lightning, daughter of the High Mother had come.

"So you came back," Ultimecia drawled to Vanille as thunder echoed through the sky. "And you've brought help. How interesting."

"Vanille." Lightning jerked her head at the ground. "See to Fang. I will deal with them."

"Deal with us?" Ultimecia laughed. How absurd. "I think you forget who we are."

"And you forget who I am." Lightning spat the words. "You will learn your place, and I will be the one to teach it to you."

"Is that so?" Ultimecia glanced at Seifer. "Tell me, how will you do that?"

Lightning might be head of the Valkyries and the daughter of the High Mother, but Ultimecia was not about to give up her prize. Besides, with Seifer there, she was confident of victory. Lightning had more raw power than anyone except the High Mother and High Father, but it wasn't power she could use.

Oh yes, Ultimecia had studied Lightning well, as she had studied anyone who might prove a threat to her. When she had taken up her mantle as a goddess, Lightning had sealed away almost all of her demonic powers. That alone would have cut her power in half, but it went even further. The seal itself required a considerable portion of her divine powers to maintain, so the actual amount of power that Lightning had access to was only a fraction of what she truly possessed.

"I'm going to rip you limb from limb," Lightning replied. "You have harmed what is mine, and that cannot go unpunished." She smiled. "And you've picked a very bad place to do it."

For the first time, Ultimecia felt a hint of unease. Lightning's smile wasn't cold so much as it was utterly psychotic. "What do you mean?"

Lightning's smile widened, and her crystal armour began to darken. "I love my sister and I have served Heaven faithfully for many years, but there is a side of me that I cannot show them. Here, there is no one to see the darkness in my heart. No except for us, and I have no intention of letting you leave here alive."

"The seal on your power," Ultimecia whispered. "You intend to break it."

Lightning said nothing.

"Seifer! Kill her!"

The blonde raced forward only to be thrown back as shadows erupted from Lightning. When they had cleared, Ultimecia felt her throat go dry. Lightning's armour had turned pitch black, and as she watched, the goddess's lone white wing grew steadily darker until it too was as black as the night. But that wasn't the end. Lightning's wings rippled and took on a new, almost liquid consistency. Instead of feathered wings, two rivers of molten shadow, gleaming brightly with black light, flowed from Lightning's back.

Ultimecia had seen this only once before. The High Mother had wings like that, not of feathers, but of shadow. She had revealed them on the day that Lightning had left to take up her position as a goddess. The High Mother had levelled half the palace with a flap of her wings, along with anyone too stupid to run.

"You are supposed to be a goddess," Ultimecia growled as she gathered as much of her power as she could as quickly as she could. "What about your vows?"

"Be silent!" Lightning roared. Her tenebrous wings lashed the air, and the sky on either side of her rippled. With each moment that passed, her wings grew larger and darker until it seemed night had fallen over the area. "You dared to lay your hands on the one that is mine, to harm the one I love most in creation. No vow can hold me from my vengeance."

The rumours were true then, Ultimecia realised. Many had suspected that the High Mother's daughter and Fang were involved, but until now, none had known for certain. It was pure foolishness to think that such a relationship could work, and yet, clearly, they had attempted it. This wasn't the fury of a friend, but that of a lover, and that meant there could be no negotiation, no quarter given.

She had miscalculated.

Ultimecia gestured at the few lesser demons that remained. " Get her!"

As the lesser demons rushed to obey – more loyal than intelligent – Lightning's killing intent flared out. Half of the lesser demons died immediately, the others plunged out of the sky, driven mad with fear, to smash onto the ground far below.

The sky shuddered as Ultimecia unleashed all of the power she'd gathered in a single, devastating spell. It was enough to crack a planet, enough to break the very fabric of creation where Lightning stood and scatter it to the far ends of the universe. And Lightning tore through it like it wasn't even there.

Black lightning raced down from the sky and annihilated great swathes of the jungle as Ultimecia and Seifer dodged desperately through the storm of Lightning's power. This was the strength Lightning had inherited from the High Mother and the High Father, and for a split-second Ultimecia couldn't help but admire it. If only she could study it, perhaps even learn to copy it. But no, there was no time for that. She needed to escape and quickly.

"Seifer!" she bellowed. "We are leaving!"

The blonde nodded, and threw all of the power he had left into another attack. A cloud of flame enveloped Lightning, and Ultimecia opened a portal. There was no time to stabilise it properly, or even aim it, but anywhere had to be better than here with the furious daughter of the High Mother.

She and Seifer hurled themselves through the portal, and Ultimecia just barely managed to shut it before one of Lightning's attacks followed them through.

X X X

Lightning howled and fought to rein in her fury. She wanted to level the jungle, burn the whole thing to the ground. Ultimecia and Seifer had escaped, and there was no way of knowing where that portal of theirs had taken them. Cowards. Next time, she would tear their wings off and rip out their throats. That way, they wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

Another growl left her lips before she vanished in a blur of motion. Fang was down there and she needer her. When she arrived, Vanille had already begun to work on Fang's injuries. Still, the sight of the wounded demon made Lightning's blood boil. Ultimecia's spell had wreaked havoc not only on Fang's body, but on her soul as well.

"I don't know what do," Vanille sobbed as she cast healing spell after healing spell. "It's hard enough trying to heal all the injuries to her body, but I don't even know where to start on the injuries to her soul." She looked up at Lightning desperately. "Do something!"

Lightning knelt at Fang's side. Healing had never been one of her strong points, and even if she had the power, she knew that she lacked the finesse. A damaged soul was one of the most fragile things in the universe. The wrong spell, or even the right spell used even a tiny bit improperly, could result in death.

"I can't." Lightning hissed.

"What?" Vanille continued to cast what magic she could, even as fresh tears began to pour down her cheeks. "But… but…"

"Can't you get her back to your lab?" Lightning asked. Despite the power coursing through her veins, she'd never felt so helpless. If Fang died… if she died… no. She refused to even think that would happen. "There has to be something you've built that can help."

"There might be, but I can't bring it here, and there's no way Fang can go through a portal like this."

"I see." Lightning swallowed thickly. "I know what to do."

"You do?" The hope in Vanille's eyes was almost painful to look at.

"Yes."

Eyes closed in concentration, Lightning created a portal to her home in Heaven. The spells that protected the place fought against the intrusion, scarcely able to recognise her magic through all of the demonic energy, but she forced her way through. A few seconds later, the portal snapped into place, and she reached out to Serah with her mind.

"Serah," she murmured. "I need you. Come. Please."

No matter how strange it must have seemed, Lightning was certain that Serah would come. Despite all the demonic energy that tainted the portal, Serah had to recognise that it was Lightning's doing, and Serah had never once hesitated to come to her side, even in the early days when Lightning had struggled to control her demonic powers.

A few moments passed, and then Serah stumbled through the portal. The goddess took one look at Lightning and the two demons on the ground and then gasped.

"Lightning, what's going on?" Serah's eyes widened as she took in the twin plumes of writhing shadow on Lightning's back. "What happened to you?"

"Never mind me." Lightning looked at Fang. "Heal her."

It was a testament to how much Serah loved and trusted her sister that she didn't even hesitate before dropping down onto her knees beside Fang. Her wings unfurled at once as she began to channel her magic into the fallen demon.

"Her body has been injured quite badly," Serah murmured. "But the injuries to her soul are the worst part. What did this?"

"Another demon," Lightning replied as a wave of affection swept over her. It didn't matter to Serah that Fang was a demon. It was enough for Serah that Lightning wanted her healed. "Ultimecia."

Serah winced. "I've heard of her, she's very powerful." She pursed her lips. "But don't worry. I should be able to heal everything." She glanced over at Vanille. "You did a good job of patching her up, uh…"

"Vanille." The red head grinned. "My name's Vanille, and you must be Serah."

"Vanille?" Serah frowned faintly. That name was familiar. "Wait… you're Fang's sister, which means…" She looked down at the demon she was healing in horror. "She's Fang!"

"She is." Lightning confirmed. "Which is why you have to heal her." She closed her eyes. "Please."

"Don't worry," Serah replied. "I said I would heal her, and I will." She gathered more magic. "But do you think you could maybe change back, Lightning? All of your power is making it hard for me to use magic properly."

X X X

Serah flopped onto her back and sighed. Finally, she was done. A few feet away, Fang groaned and then stumbled onto her hands and knees. In an instant, Lightning was by her side, and Serah could only stare as the two exchanged a frantic mix of hushed whispers, kisses and threats.

Her sister had told her about some of her life in Hell. However, she'd definitely neglected to mention that.

"Quite a picture, aren't they."

Serah looked over at Vanille as the red head settled onto the ground beside her. The demon still had her fair share of wounds, but she didn't seem the least bit concerned by them.

"They love each other, don't they?" Serah murmured. How could she have missed something like this, and how long had it been going on?

"They do." Vanille leaned up onto one elbow. "The question is: what are you going to do now that you know about it?"

"What am I going to do?" Serah hadn't even considered that. By all rights, she should report this straight to the High Father and the other authorities in Heaven. Dalliances with demons were strictly forbidden and considered nothing less than high treason. Yet, looking at her sister and Fang, she couldn't see things like that.

There was so much tenderness as her sister and Fang held each other, so much… longing. Their kisses, exchanged with nary a care for Vanille and Serah's presence, were filled with the sort of wild, desperate passion that Serah had only ever read about in those sappy romance novels she'd picked up on one of the mortal worlds. They were in love, and surely that couldn't be against the laws of Heaven.

"I'm not sure," Serah said at last. "I suppose I'll ask Lightning what she wants me to do."

A grin spread across Vanille's lips. "So, you're not going to go running to the High Father?"

"I love my sister," Serah said simply. "And if I did that, she'd never be able to see Fang again. I don't even want to think about how much that would hurt her. She'd be charged with high treason too. They'd strip her of her rank, maybe even imprison her." She swallowed thickly. "No, I'm going to say anything."

"Oh good." Vanille laughed. "Because I'd be really sad if I had to do something bad to you like alter your memories." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I love my sister too, Serah, and I'd do anything to protect her happiness so I'm glad we're on the same page."

Serah shuddered. "As am I." She forced herself to stand. "Lightning, people are going to ask questions..."

With a groan, Lightning pulled away from Fang, and Serah did her best to ignore the faint teeth marks on her collarbone. Demons, it seemed, were quite demonstrative about their affection. "You're right." She sighed. "You need to go back. Tell them… tell them that I ran into some demon trouble and needed your help to heal myself afterward. It's almost the truth."

"All right." Serah stepped back through the portal. "I won't say a word about what really happened here, but later, you and I are going to talk about this."

As the portal closed behind Serah, Fang gave Lightning a wry smile. "Sounds like you're in trouble."

"Probably." Lightning ran one hand through her hair. "You and Vanille should get going too. Heaven is going to send reinforcements, and you can't be here when they arrive."

"I know." Fang nodded. "Believe me, I know."

"And then there's the relic –"

"You can have it," Vanille said. "I've already learned everything I need to know, and we do sort of owe you for saving us." She hopped onto her feet. "Come on, Fang, we need to go."

Heat raced through Lightning's veins as she and Fang exchanged one last kiss. If only they had more time.

"See you later," Fang whispered. Her lips curled. "And maybe next time, you can go all angry, scary demon when we meet. It looks good on you."

Lightning glanced at her wings. She'd need to change back before the other gods arrived. "Maybe." She cupped Fang's cheeks in her hands and stole what she promised herself would be the last kiss for the time being. "Take care."

"I will." Fang concentrated for a few moments and a portal opened up. Then she and Vanille were gone, and Lightning was left alone.

Again.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

The more I write this story, the harder it is to shake the feeling that it's kind of a guilty pleasure. What I mean by that is, I tend to write chapters for this story whenever I'm dissatisfied with the direction some of my other stories have taken, and I feel like I need to change things up a little. This chapter is a case in point. I decided to write it after working on Chapter 13 of Whispers of the Gods. Now, I won't spoil what goes on in that chapter, but there was something in that chapter that I couldn't change because it was absolutely critical to the story (that said, I am quite happy with how that chapter turned out overall). The cool thing about this chapter was that I was able to make that change and have it actually work in favour of the story. If that all sounds a bit bizarre, just read Chapter 13 of Whispers of the Gods and it should make sense.

Now, there are a couple of things to cover about this chapter. First, why is Lightning so powerful in comparison to the other gods and demons? The simple answer (and this has its roots in Oh My Goddess as well) is that she is the daughter of the two most powerful beings in creation. Of course she's going to be ridiculously strong. However, as described in the chapter, she can't always use that full strength because of her desire to be a goddess and stay in Heaven (this is another nod at Urd from Oh My Goddess). But after she sees Fang go down, well, all bets are off. She's angry enough to forget about the vows she's taken and go full demon mode.

For those who aren't aware, Seifer and Ultimecia are from Final Fantasy VIII. Also, you can find links to my blog and deviant art in my profile, along with links to eBook version of Ordinary Heroes.

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Pieces On The Board**

Fang arrived in Hell with a plan. It was hastily thrown together, but it did have at least one redeeming feature – it ended with Ultimecia and Seifer torn limb from limb. The only question now was whether she could pull it off.

"Vanille, go to your lab. If anyone questions you, say that you need to analyse the data from our mission."

The red head winced. "Fang, what are you going to do?"

"The High Mother will want to know what happened. It will be safer for both of us if you aren't there."

The ruler of Hell did not think highly of failure, and although their mission wasn't a complete failure, it could hardly be called a glowing success. Then there was Ultimecia. Fang couldn't sense her presence in Hell, but the other demon was very good at hiding herself. She also had quite a few followers. The safest place for Vanille was in her lab with all of her creations and equipment. Even a demon of Fang's power would be hard-pressed to fight Vanille there.

"Are you sure?" Vanille tugged at the tattered remains of Fang's sari. "I can go with you."

"I'm sure. But turn on all of your security and call Bahamut as well." Fang doubted there was any demon in Hell save the High Mother who could get past Bahamut and all the weaponry in Vanille's lab.

"All right, but be careful." Vanille vanished into the distance, headed straight for the safety of her lab.

With Vanille out of harm's way – at least for the time being – Fang flew straight to the massive palace complex that stood at the very centre of Hell. It was one of the most beautiful yet terrible things in Creation, a twisted reflection of Heaven's glory. Heaven was wrought of graceful spires and arches, a delicate latticework of white, silver and gold that embodied the light of the High Father. Hell was all rough edges and harsh lines, a monument to the High Mother's fury, a place of black stone and burning rock. There was no room for softness in Hell, no room for weakness.

Fang landed in one of the larger courtyards, her approach marked by a handful of dragons. Not one of them approach Bahamut's size, but even the smallest of them measured a good two hundred feet long. They watched her with eyes the pale orange of cooling lava, and her senses tingled from all the other eyes upon her.

It wasn't often that one of the High Mother's most favoured demons arrived in such a state. Serah had done well to heal the damage to her soul, but much of the damage to her body still lingered. She was sore all over, and her clothes were in tatters. The coppery scent of blood clung to her like a funeral shroud.

Demons were always looking for weakness, and there were those watching her now who were sure they had found it. She strode into the palace and waited for the boldest of them to emerge from the shadows that clung to every wall and corner. He had the shape of a man, but that was all. His hands were claws, and the teeth he bared were far too long to be human. With a snarl, he lunged, ready to tear out her heart. He never got that far. She caught his claws in one hand and snapped both of his wrists. Before he could scream, she used her other hand to rip his head off his shoulders.

It was savage and brutal, and it left no doubt as to whether or not she could defend herself. She flung the remains into the shadows around her, and her lips curled into a feral smile as she sensed the other demons scurry away. They fancied themselves predators. Fools. Even if she was injured, they were nothing more than prey.

She walked unchallenged to the vast black doors of the High Mother's throne room. An age ago, she'd asked the High Mother what they were made of, and the older demon had laughed as she replied. The doors were a trophy, forged out of the blackened bones of a thousand slaughtered gods and goddesses, all of them slain by the High Mother herself.

Fang could scarcely imagine the kind of power that would take. No wonder the High Father had eventually sought peace. Even if he could defeat the High Mother, there wouldn't be anything left to rule afterwards.

As she reached for the doors, several lean shapes pushed away from the walls on either side of her. Fang's eyes narrowed – the High Mother's personal guard. All of them wore black masks and obsidian armour, and all of them were handpicked by the ruler of Hell. They were raised with the sole purpose of living and dying for the High Mother. Nothing else mattered. Fang wasn't sure if she hated or pitied them more.

Half a dozen swords made of the seething darkness that lay inside the High Mother came to rest at Fang's throat.

"The High Mother awaits you, Fang." They spoke as one with no trace of emotion. Puppets all of them, and the High Mother loved to make them dance. The swords pulled away. "Enter."

The doors opened just far enough for Fang to enter. The High Mother was not alone in her throne room. All of Hell's court was there: scores of high ranking demons and their consorts, followers and allies. The High Mother enjoyed intrigue as much as brute force, and the machinations of the court served to amuse her in between the great wars against Heaven. Fang had little time for such things. Battle was her forte, and whatever plotting she did was out of necessity more than any real enjoyment. Vanille, however, had something of a knack for intrigue, provided she could be pulled away from her experiments.

When the High Mother's gaze fell on Fang, a small smile crossed her lips. The most powerful demon in all of Creation raised one hand. There was silence. She savoured it for a moment, and then she spoke a single word.

"Out."

It was a testament to the High Mother's power that not one of the demons raised a word of complaint or protest. Demons were, by nature, wilful and ill suited to taking orders, but they would bend their knees to power, and the High Mother had more of that than any of them. They filed out swiftly, and the doors swung shut behind them.

Fang stayed where she was and reached out with her senses. They were alone. Not even the High Mother's personal guard remained. For a moment, neither she nor the High Mother spoke. They merely gazed at one another. In the end, it was Fang who looked away first. The High Mother was the most beautiful woman in Creation, but the most terrifying as well. To look at her was to see all of the chaos in existence made flesh. Yet there could be no mistaking her resemblance to Lightning either.

But it was not the High Mother's face that worried her. It was the look in her eyes – that amused, mocking look. The High Mother knew something. The only question was how much.

"Tell me, Fang." The words dripped from the High Mother's lips like poisoned honey. "How was your mission?"

Fang shuddered. The High Mother had loosened her hold on her power, and it filled the whole chamber. It was almost enough to drive Fang to her knees, yet another unsubtle reminder of who was in charge. Whatever plans Fang had, were tossed aside. To trifle with the High Mother now meant death.

"Ultimecia ambushed me and Vanille." Fang had to force the words out. "I was almost killed, and Vanille was lucky to escape without serious injury." She snarled and fought against the High Mother's power. She might as well have tried to conquer Heaven. "But you knew that, didn't you?"

The High Mother's laughter rang out. "Of course, Fang. My eyes may not see into Heaven, but they see everywhere else."

"Why didn't you stop Ultimecia?"

"Stop her?" The High Mother cupped her chin in one hand. "Why would I? I have no need for weak followers. If you had fallen, I would have promoted Ultimecia in your place. She lacks your aptitude for battle, but she makes up for it cunning and subterfuge."

"And Vanille?"

"I would not have allowed her to come to any real harm. She has certain talents that I require." The High Mother strode forward, closing the gap between them. "But I knew you wouldn't die, Fang. My daughter wouldn't let you."

Fang fought to keep calm. The High Mother knew everything. "You knew Lightning would be there. That's why you let Ultimecia attack. You wanted Lightning to lose control."

"And that, Fang, is why you are the commander of my Hell Knights. You catch on quite quickly."

Despite her resolve, Fang took one step back and then another. How could the High Mother know everything? She and Lightning had been so careful. They'd met on different worlds, and other than them only Vanille knew a thing, and Vanille would never betray them. Did the High Mother intend to strike her down? Was that why she'd revealed her knowledge? Fang's mind spun. There was no way she could beat the High Mother in a fight. She needed to offer the other demon something in exchange, something valuable enough –

"Do not look so worried, Fang. I am not angry with you. In fact, I am rather pleased." The High Mother vanished in a blur of movement, and Fang was suddenly pinned against the wall. Almost gently, the older demon cupped Fang's cheek in one hand. "Still, I am rather curious."

"About what?" Fang couldn't move. She could barely even think. The High Mother's power permeated every fibre of her being.

The High Mother's features shifted until it was Lightning looking back at Fang. "Did you enjoy it when my daughter put her hands on you?" It was Lightning's voice coming from the High Mother's throat. But the words carried none of Lightning's usual passion. Instead, there was only a dark amusement. "Did you like it when she kissed you? Did you beg her to take you?" Lightning's lips – no, the High Mother's – traced a line down Fang's jaw. "How about when you took her? Did she cry out your name? Did she praise you to Heaven and Hell?"

Fang jerked away from the High Mother as the other demon's features shifted back to her own. "How long have you known?"

"Since the beginning." The High Mother waggled one finger in the air. "In all of Creation, Fang, there are only a few things that I truly treasure. Power. Control. My daughter. I know her and her soul better than anyone – better than the High Father, that pompous fool." She snarled the words. "Even now, I can feel her soul as though she were right beside me. I felt the change in it when you two found one another again. I sensed the darkening in it."

A shiver ran down Fang's spine. "What?"

"You are a demon. You corrupt everything you touch. It is in your nature. It just so happens that what you have been touching is my daughter. Quite a lot, actually." The High Mother was on her throne again, legs crossed. "And that is what interested me. For so long, my daughter has been in Heaven, and her soul has only grown brighter. But you – you have given life to the darkness inside her. It grows, Fang, and it is all because of you. How wonderful."

Fang backed away. This couldn't be real. She'd never considered the effect she might have on Lightning's soul. The goddess had always seemed fine when they were together, and she'd never sensed anything amiss. But the High Mother wouldn't joke about this – Lightning was precious to her. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Absolutely nothing." The High Mother smiled kindly, but Fang knew better. The High Mother's kindness was seldom given to anyone except her daughter. "Every time you touch my daughter, every time your soul joins hers, you darken her a little more. You stain that damnably pure soul the High Father has worked so hard to give her. She is my daughter, Fang – mine not his – and you will be the one to make her what she used to be. Hell has been missing its princess for far too long."

"And if I don't want to?" The words came before Fang could stop them. Lightning had made her choice. Fang might not like it, but she respected it. She had to.

"Do you think I would have told you if what you wanted made any difference? Do not be so naïve – it does not suit you. The gods do not know grief and sorrow and longing the way we do. Demons feel more keenly that the gods ever could. Those fools in Heaven are content to dream of how things should be. In Hell, we concern ourselves with how things are. If you choose to leave her, Fang, if you choose to deny her, what do you think will happen? The pain she already feels from having to part with you will only grow. It will fester inside her until one day, she will no longer be able to control it."

The High Mother laughed. "Lightning was content once but not anymore. You are perhaps the one thing in Creation that she truly wants that she can never have, not as a goddess. And that is what will make her a demon again. That desire will give me back my daughter."

It was only centuries of control that kept Fang from falling to her knees. The High Mother was going to use her, and not just as a weapon against Heaven. She was going to use her against Lightning.

"You look angry, Fang. You look disgusted. But is it such a terrible thing to want my daughter back?" The High Mother leaned back on her throne. "Would it be so bad to have her here? Think of it, Fang. With her at my side, I could tip the Balance. We could rule Creation as mother and daughter. She would be second only to me in power and prestige. She could go anywhere, be with anyone she wanted. Do you not you like that? You could walk with her in the sun; wake up with her in your arms. There would be no hiding anymore. She would be yours and you would be hers. Tell me that you do not want that. Tell me if you can."

The words wouldn't come. Every single thing the High Mother had said was true. And for a moment, the images were so vivid in Fang's mind that she couldn't bring herself to blink them away. She could be with Lightning again, and no one would be able to keep them apart. They could be happy –

"Serah," Fang murmured. "She would never leave her behind."

"Ah yes, that little goddess. I must admit I underestimated her. She did some good work healing you. I had not thought you would get that badly wounded before Lightning intervened. You were careless, Fang, although it worked out in my favour in the end." The High Mother waved one hand. "I am not stupid, Fang. The gods are necessary. I intend to rule Creation, not burn it to the ground. True, I will have to kill most of them off, but I will spare enough of them to keep things going. I do not mind sparing that particular goddess if my daughter is so attached to her." She chuckled. "I find her silence intriguing. She vowed not to say a thing about Lightning's little… indiscretions with you. How very sneaky, almost like a demon."

Something that was almost admiration rippled through Fang. Many demons thought the High Mother ruled solely because of her power, but that wasn't true at all. Creation was a game to the High Mother, and they were all pieces to be moved as she saw fit. And none of them would even have known unless she said something.

"What of Ultimecia then?" Fang asked.

"I suppose I must accept some responsibility. I may have been the one to put the idea into her head. Still, she served her purpose. If you find her, you are quite welcome to kill her. If she is wise, she will bring you something to make sparing her life worth your while."

"And if she plots against you? You have to know she wants your throne."

"Then she is not nearly as clever as I thought." The High Mother rolled her eyes. "I am not the most powerful demon because I rule Hell. I rule Hell because I am the most powerful demon. Ultimecia may plot all she wants, but I will crush her the moment she dares oppose me." She leaned forward. "So, Fang. What will it be? Will you keep seeing my daughter? Will you tell her about this conversation of ours?"

Fang clenched her fists. She didn't know what to do and the High Mother knew it. Even if she told Lightning, it wouldn't change a thing. The goddess would never stop wanting her, just like she would never stop wanting the goddess. With a growl, Fang shoved the doors open. The High Mother's laughter followed her all the way out of the palace.

Inside the throne room, the High Mother glanced at the empty throne beside hers. Soon, Lightning would be back where she belonged. Foolish little demon, Fang had never realised how keen the High Mother's senses were. Fang could wash and cleanse herself all she wanted, but Lightning had marked Fang as hers, and the High Mother could never miss such a thing.

And Fang's mission hadn't been solely for Lightning's sake. Vanille would undoubtedly work out how the machine operated, and that could prove to be very useful in the next war. But wasn't it amusing how Fang had missed quite an important little detail. How had the High Mother known her daughter would be on that world? She might not be able to see into Heaven, but she had eyes and ears everywhere. Not even Heaven was free of corruption.

Now it was up to the High Father to make the next move.

X X X

Lightning's return did not go nearly as well as she had hoped. The moment she stepped through her portal, she was confronted by a fully armed squad of her Valkyries. Twenty goddesses stared back at her, their weapons trained on her heart and head. To their credit, not a single one of them wavered. Her lips curled. She'd trained them well.

Leading the Valkyries was Yuna. She wore a mournful expression, but her staff was levelled at Lightning's heart, its entire length wreathed in a maelstrom of divine energy.

"Do not move."

"Do you understand what you're doing, Yuna?" A minute shift of her weight was enough to make almost all of them twitch. They knew exactly how dangerous Lightning was. If they fired on her, and they missed, they were all dead.

"The High Father commands your presence, Lightning." Yuna's eyes softened. "Please don't make me fight you."

A faint smile crossed Lightning's lips. Yuna was one of her finest students. The other goddess had once served only as a healer, but years of battle had forced her to seek Lightning out. By the time Lightning was done with her, Yuna had become one of the most powerful Valkyries. But she still wouldn't last ten minutes against Lightning in a real fight.

"Very well," Lightning said at last. "Lead the way."

As the Valkyries escorted her, Lightning glanced back at her wings. At least they had resumed their normal colour. Some of the younger Valkyries would have fired at her on sight if they'd seen her other wings, the ones she'd gotten from her mother. The seal was back in place as well, but it felt different now – weaker. Unbidden, a thought entered her mind: how many of the Valkyries around her would last more than a few seconds if she decided to fight? She fought the sentiment back along with the image it conjured: Heaven in ruins, Yuna's wings torn off, blood everywhere. She grit her teeth. Only a little while longer, then the High Father would restore the seal to its full power.

They flew to the High Father's sanctum, a titanic spire that stood at the very heart of Heaven. The High Father seldom appeared in person. Instead, he was content to appear in the form of a blinding pillar of light that illuminated all of Heaven. Perhaps it was arrogance, or perhaps he found it difficult to collapse all of his incredible power into a simple physical shell.

The Valkyries led her through the winding corridors of the spire to the grand chamber that lay at the very top of the tower. It was the meeting place of the gods, a circular hall so vast that it could seat every god and goddess in Heaven. At its centre shone the pillar of light that was the High Father.

"Lightning." The High Father's voice came from every direction, and his power brushed against her, a rising tide against some distant shore.

"Father." Lightning did not bow. Instead, she looked directly into the light. Inside her, the seal twitched, and another stray thought tumbled through her mind: the hall in ruins, the light extinguished, her black wings unfurling amidst the pristine glory of Heaven. "You sent for me?"

"Leave us." The words were aimed at the Valkyries.

"High Father…" Yuna stepped forward. "Are you sure?"

"If you truly believe that Lightning is strong enough to harm me, then what chance do any of you have of stopping her?" The High Father sounded almost amused. "She is my daughter. Leave her with me."

The Valkyries filed out in silence, and Lightning was left alone with the High Father. Perhaps now he would take on a physical form.

He did not.

Instead, the light at the centre of the hall continued to shine as brightly as ever. But she could not shake the feeling that the High Father was studying her.

"You broke the seal on your demonic power, and Serah arrived back in Heaven with quite a story." A pause. "You were attacked on your mission by two powerful demons and left with no choice but to break the seal. Is that not so?"

"Yes." Lightning was grateful now for her demonic heritage. She could lie to the High Father without a trace of guilt. It was for Fang, always for Fang. "However, I was wounded. I had to call for her assistance."

"I see." The light pulsed in time to the beating of her heart. "I wonder what demons could be strong enough to wound you so badly that you would call for your sister. I know of your pride, Lighting. You would not have asked for Serah's help lightly."

Lightning stiffened. "I would rather Serah's aid than any other's." That much was true. The healers amongst the gods were on strict orders to leave Lightning alone unless her injuries were life threatening. Serah was to see to her whenever possible.

"That is true." The light spread, enveloped her. "I felt your power from here, daughter. You have grown much stronger."

He was talking about the demonic side of her. "Yes."

"Show me."

"Here?" Lightning's eyes widened. "In Heaven?"

"Yes." The High Father's light flared. "The seal upon you is no longer strong enough. A new seal will be required, so I must know what you are now capable of. The only other way would be to… examine your soul."

A shudder ran through her. The High Father could delve into her soul for all the secrets of who and what she was. But even his skill and power could not make the experience a pleasant one. The divine side of her would welcome his touch, but the demonic side would fight it tooth and nail. "Very well."

Lightning reached for her demonic power. Nothing. The seal held.

"Dark thoughts call up your demonic power. Think of what happened to you earlier. Call up those emotions. Then the power will come."

Eyes closed, Lightning's mind drifted. Fang wounded. Fang dying. Fang…

The seal snapped open. Her armour darkened until it was pitch black, and her wings turned into great ribbons of molten shadow. They spanned the hall, and wherever the High Father's light touched them, they sizzled as though burned. The overwhelming urge to destroy something – everything – washed over her, and it took her almost a minute to rein it in.

"They are so much like your mother's wings." The High Father sounded almost wistful. "And they are still so very beautiful." Was that fondness in his voice? His next words, however, were not meant for her. "Enter."

A contingent of gods and goddesses filed into the upper reaches of the hall. These were the nobility of the gods, the greatest of their number. Some were friends of a sort. Tifa was there, her burgundy eyes as calm as ever. Beside her was Aerith, a worried frown on the healer's face. Cloud and Squall were there, each with an almost identical expression of deliberate disinterest. It was a lie, of course. She could see the tension running through both of them. Only Tidus was smiling, and he would have waved were it not for the stern glare that came from the older god beside him. Auron, it seemed, was not the least bit pleased with what he saw.

And then there was Serah.

"Is this proof enough?" the High Father asked. "Some of you expressed doubt. Yet even in this state, my daughter remains in control. Is that not so?"

"It is." Her fury bubbled beneath the surface, but she could not afford to lose control. She wasn't worried about herself – so long as the High Father did not intervene, there was very little in Heaven that could harm her. But Serah was another matter. If she lost control and hurt the other goddess, she would never forgive herself. Nor could she bear it if Serah looked upon her in fear.

"Does it hurt?" Aerith asked. The healer made to fly down to Lightning's side, but Cloud stopped her with a hand around her arm.

Lightning returned Aerith's gaze. The goddess did not look away. Impressive. "No, not really."

"And how do you feel?" Aerith shrugged off Cloud's hand and Lightning had the distinct feeling that she would have done more had they been alone. Tifa frowned and very deliberately stepped between the pair.

"Bloodlust but nothing I cannot handle." Lightning had to bite her tongue before she said anything else. Their little display amused her demonic side. So much tension because they had to choose between one another. In Hell, there were no rules about that. They could be together – or not together – as they saw fit. "But there is also power. I feel… invincible."

Against most gods or demons, transforming would grant her more than enough power to win. But that same power might drive her to fight carelessly and that could prove fatal against a sufficiently skilled opponent.

"Perhaps a test would be in order." Cloud looked toward the pillar light. "High Father?"

"I shall permit it." His voice hardened. "But a test only. Remember, you are allies."

There was a flash of light and when it cleared, Lightning and the others were in one of Heaven's training grounds. Pillars of white stone rose up on all sides. Some vanished into the clouds above while others formed crude platforms upon which to stand.

"You may begin." The High Father's voice echoed through the sky. "Cloud. I leave the test to you."

Cloud's wings unfurled and the god raced through the air toward Lightning. A broadsword appeared in one hand, and he brought the weapon down with enough force to cleave a mountain in two. Lightning watched the blow come. His form was perfect: his whole body twisted into the strike, a burst of divine power behind it as well. Cloud could be even more taciturn than her, but he had earned his place as one of Heaven's generals.

There was no time to summon her sword. But she didn't need to. Lightning caught the blow with one of her wings and the pillars on either side of them shuddered as a wave of force rippled out from the point of impact. These wings weren't like her normal wings. They didn't feel pain. They couldn't be hurt. A shiver ran through the shadows that made up her wing, and she flung Cloud back.

The god tumbled end over end through the air until he braced his feet against a far off pillar. Cracks spread along the stone as he pushed off the pillar and closed the gap again. This time, Lightning was ready. Her sword appeared in one hand, and a feral smile spread across her lips. She'd always wanted to fight Cloud, and now she had her chance.

Their blades met in a hail of sparks, and Lightning almost laughed at the joy that rushed through her veins. Cloud was strong, and he was skilled. Ultimecia had run in the face of Lightning's power, but Cloud wasn't like her. He wouldn't run even if he knew he couldn't win.

Again and again, they lashed out at each other, twisting and turning through the sky. Lightning could have used her wings as well, could have used them to bind or rip and tear, but she didn't. This was a test, a trial to see if she could keep such urges under control. They locked blades again, and there was a flash as another blade appeared in Cloud's left hand. Of course – she'd almost forgotten that he was as good with his left hand as his right.

Lightning upped her speed – Cloud was holding back less and less with each strike – and knocked the other god back with a swing of her sword. Magic flared into existence, and Cloud tore the sky asunder. Fire, ice, wind, even lightning – Cloud could use them all. He wanted to pin Lightning down, keep her in one place long enough to bring his swords to bear.

Something that was halfway between a snarl and a smile twisted Lightning's features. What fun this was. With a growl, she unleashed a roiling wave of shadows that swallowed Cloud's magic whole. The god banked away and settled on top of another pillar. Everything else that Lightning's magic touched disintegrated.

"That is enough," the High Father said. "I trust you are satisfied? Lightning did not lose control at all during your fight."

Cloud's swords vanished and he inclined his head. "For now, High Father. I would recommend a close watch be kept."

"That is for me to decide." Light enveloped them and they were once again in the great hall. "Are there any other recommendations?"

A few of the others made recommendations, but most seemed content with Cloud's call for observation. Aerith suggested Lightning undertake a full evaluation by the healers, but the High Father put a stop to that.

"Her power would kill if you looked too closely at it, Aerith," the High Father said. "I will see to Lightning's well fare, and Serah too if necessary."

"Serah is a skilled healer," Aerith replied. "But –"

"Lightning will not harm her sister. Even in a completely demonic state, I doubt she would lay one finger on her." The light of the High Father brightened till it was almost blinding. "The rest of you may leave now. Serah, you may stay."

With the others gone, Lightning allowed herself to relax a little. There was a part of her that wanted to finish what she'd started with Cloud. That same part wondered what it would be like to fight Cloud, Tifa and Aerith together. Certainly, it would be enjoyable. She shuddered. They needed to fix the seal.

"Are you going to replace the seal now?" Lightning glanced at Serah, who stood, hands clasped, in the upper reaches of the hall. "Is it possible to seal all of this away?"

"All of it? No. You are half goddess and half demon. To remove all of your demonic traits would change who and what you are. At best, it would leave you badly weakened and mentally unstable. At worst, you would be dead."

"I see."

Light washed over her, touching, testing and searching. "I am going to apply the new seal now." A pause. "It will hurt."

Lightning was used to pain. "I'm ready."

The High Father's light enveloped her, and Lightning felt his power flood through her. There was nothing gentle about his touch this time. This was the power that had forged Creation, the same power that had thrown back the High Mother when she had torn down the gates of Heaven and laid siege to the domain of the gods.

She passed out screaming.

X X X

Serah watched in silence as the High Father teleported Lightning back to her quarters. She was about to follow when he stopped her.

"I know you lied to me, Serah."

A shiver crawled up Serah's spine. "What do you mean?"

"Unlike your sister, you are a very poor liar, daughter." The light at the centre of the hall dimmed a fraction.

"I…" Serah didn't know what to say. She'd never lied to the High Father before, never even considered it until now. Little wonder then that she'd done such a poor job of it. "What… what are you going to do?"

"What do you think I should do?"

Serah knew what he should do. Lying to the High Father was a crime that merited grave punishment. But when she thought back to Lightning and Fang, she couldn't bring herself to believe that she'd done anything wrong. Maybe it was forbidden, but Lightning and Fang loved each other, she was sure of it. Didn't they deserve the chance to be happy?

"Nothing," Serah said at last. "Don't do anything."

"Oh?"

"I know I lied, but it was for a very good reason."

"Will you tell me what you lied about?"

"Please don't ask me to." Serah bowed her head. "I promised Lightning I wouldn't tell anyone."

"Tell me, Serah. Is this secret something that will harm Heaven?"

Serah bit her lip. "No, I don't think so."

"Then I will do as you ask." The High Father's voice softened. "But watch your sister closely. She walks a narrow road, and her heart balances on the edge of a knife. Heaven or Hell – one day, she will have to choose again. I leave it to you to ensure that she makes the right choice."

"Yes, father." Serah bowed and left the hall as quickly as she could. She wanted nothing more than to be beside her sister again. Yet she could not shake the dark feeling that had come over her. The High Father had spoken his words gently, but they were grave words. Was another war coming? Would Lightning have to fight against not only her mother, but Fang as well?

Serah knew how much Lightning loved her. But if Lightning had to choose between her and Fang, Heaven and Hell, what would she choose?

Despite the warm light of Heaven, Serah was suddenly very cold.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

The plot thickens! Well, sort of. Fang and Lightning were always being a little too naïve in thinking that their activities went unnoticed. Both the High Mother and High Father possess ridiculous amounts of power. There is almost nothing they do not notice, and there is very little they do not consider in terms of the conflict between Heaven and Hell. Love might be a wonderful thing, but here, it is also a very complicated thing. How much of it is real, and how much of it is simply a tool for the High Mother and High Father's ends? I'll leave that for you to decide.

With regards to the characters who appeared in this chapter, Lightning, Serah, Fang and Vanille are from Final Fantasy XIII; Tidus, Yuna and Auron are from Final Fantasy X; Cloud, Tifa and Aerith are from Final Fantasy VII; and Ultimecia, Seifer and Squall are from Final Fantasy VIII.

On another note, in the next month or so, I will be releasing three short stories on Amazon as eBooks (the term short story is deceptive, since they are each between 15,000 and 20,000 words long). One is a high fantasy, another is a darker fantasy, and the third is a paranormal Western. If you want to follow what's going on with those, I'll keep you updated on my blog and deviant art (see my profile for links – I've started a separate blog pertaining to original fiction and writing related stuff).

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


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